Landfills bake the planet even more than we realized

In a world where every action counts in the race against Climate Change, the journal publication I am sharing by this link https://grist.org/science/us-landfills-emit-far-more-methane-than-previously-known/ shakes the foundations of what we thought we knew about our environmental efforts. It tells of a study published in Science by researchers at Carbon Mapper that has uncovered a disturbing truth: landfills in the United States are emitting alarmingly higher levels of methane, at least 40% higher, than previously reported to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Imagine mountains of waste that, as they decompose, release not only foul odors but also large amounts of methane, a gas with a global warming effect 84 times that of CO2 in its first 20 years in the atmosphere. Beyond the visible mountains of garbage, this invisible gas escapes, forming concentrated clouds of pollution that, in many cases, persist for months, even years. Surprisingly, these "super-emissions" come from leaks and constitute almost 90% of the total methane measured in the landfills examined.

This finding is a wake-up call and a call to action: how is it possible that, in the age of technology and innovation, we allow our advances in decarbonization to have no impact on the world of waste? Landfills, those forgotten giants, stand not only as guardians of our waste but also as colossal sources of a danger that lurks silently, threatening not only our environment but also the health of entire communities, many of whom reside in the vicinity of these monuments to waste. Sending organic waste to landfills must be avoided. This organic waste is the real culprit of emissions.

The solution lies not in merely identifying the problem, but in the urgent adoption of new technologies that prevent these methane emissions. The Carbon Mapper study not only shows us the magnitude of the challenge, but also illuminates the path towards mitigating the environmental impact of landfills.

It is time that, as a society, we realize the gravity of this situation and act accordingly. We can no longer be passive bystanders while our planet suffers. Reducing methane emissions from landfills is not just a matter of environmental policy, but an urgent necessity to protect our health, our environment and our future.

Javier Sola Vendrell

Chief Financial Officer at Econward

https://www.linkedin.com/in/javier-sola-2a290152/

Image source: Dlinca, Getty Images