skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Saturday, November 2, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Trump attacks Liz Cheney using violent war imagery; Election insights: What 50 Ohioans want to hear from candidates; Consumer groups slam CA Supreme Court ruling on lemon law; On National Brush Day, new resources in KY to boost oral health.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Harris says her campaign is prepared for Trump to prematurely claim victory, Pennsylvania election officials say safeguards in the system are preventing vote fraud, and Montana Senate race could hinge on the "political refugee" vote.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

A Cambodian poultry farmer who lost his livelihood could be a hero for others, rural Montanans are anxiously awaiting a court ruling over a climate lawsuit brought by young people, and Northeast states say more housing for working families could boost jobs.

Sniffing Out Gas Leaks in Pittsburgh

play audio
Play

Wednesday, November 16, 2016   

PITTSBURGH - A unique project unveiled Tuesday lets environmentalists and utilities "Google" leaks in gas lines buried under Pittsburgh streets.

A Google Street View car equipped with a device that locates and measures methane in the air has been pinpointing pipes that are leaking the potent greenhouse gas into the atmosphere. According to Dr. Steven Hamburg, chief scientist with the Environmental Defense Fund, the project uncovered a significant, although invisible, problem.

"Looking at the downtown area showed that Pittsburgh has about one leak indication for every two miles of pipe, which is a pretty high level," he said.

In contrast, Hamburg said, in Indianapolis, where gas pipelines are newer, a similar survey identified only one leak for every 200 miles of pipe.

Peoples Natural Gas, a Pittsburgh utility, initiated the project. While stopping leaks will save the utility money, its concern is the environment. Hamburg said methane is 84 times more effective at capturing heat in the atmosphere than is carbon dioxide.

"Overall," he said, "methane released through human activity accounts for one-quarter of the increased warming that we're seeing currently, globally."

Natural gas leaks have been mapped in 10 other U.S. cities so far. While identifying gas leaks in cities with older gas infrastructure can have the most immediate impact, Hamburg said this collaboration of technology companies and environmental groups now can make the scale of climate pollution visible to individuals everywhere.

"We've got to do it across the globe," he said, "We've got to do it in ways that everybody can see their environment and then make the appropriate decisions about what that means for their life, for their families."

Hamburg estimated that, through the use of monitoring and best practices, methane emissions along the entire gas supply line can be reduced by at least half.

More information is online at edf.org/climate/methanemaps.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
Signal Ohio found overarching issues such as climate change, reproductive rights and safety were on the minds of many Ohioans. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

As Election Day approaches, the online outlet Signal Ohio interviewed 50 people across Cleveland and Akron to find out what is on the minds of …


Environment

play sound

Wild Chinook salmon have returned to the Upper Klamath River less than two months after the largest dam-removal project in U.S. history to remove …

Social Issues

play sound

Millions of Californians buy used cars still under a manufacturer's warranty - but consumer groups say those warranties are now essentially unenforcea…


Even with the rise of social media and email blasts, traditional "Get Out the Vote" rallies are seen by experts as key to helping boost participation in elections. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Political rallies and large-scale "get out the vote" events might conjure images of a packed arena in a major city but in states like North Dakota…

Social Issues

play sound

In the final sprint toward Election Day, some Minnesotans might worry their absentee ballot won't arrive in time. Experts say there's no cause for …

A 2023 Siena College poll showed 77% of New York State residents feel the lack of affordable housing is a major problem. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

New York's affordable housing crisis is being made worse by corporate landlords, according to groups trying to reform the system. The state …

Social Issues

play sound

By Mariah Alanskas for Kent State NewsLab.Broadcast version by Farah Siddiqi reporting for the Kent State-Ohio News Connection Collaboration…

Social Issues

play sound

Just days away from the big election, a new bipartisan survey shows Michiganders strongly back protections for labor laws and reject any cuts that …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021