The satellite detected clouds of methane in China – a dangerous greenhouse gas was released over coal mines in the northeastern province of Shanxi. It is assumed that it was the mines that caused air pollution, according to Bloomberg.
The Shanxi region accounts for ten percent of the world’s coal production. The first plume of gas was seen on December 4, methane emissions amounted to 53 tons per hour. The second plume was recorded on December 21 – the figure reached 68 tons of methane per hour. If each plume lasted an hour, then the total damage caused to the environment would be comparable to the emissions of 6,000 British cars in a year. The plumes rounded out the top 3 worst methane releases in China in 2021.
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The Chinese government does not always require companies to report greenhouse gas emissions. The Department of Nature Protection and Ecology Policy, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, and a spokesman for the Shanxi provincial government declined to comment on the situation.
In December 2021, China broke its own record for the amount of coal produced. Despite other countries’ concerns about environmental issues, the Chinese authorities have urged fossil fuel producers to work more efficiently. Thus, the country managed to restore the economy after the pandemic.
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