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When you dispose of organic material like food and yard waste, it often ends up in a landfill, where it emits methane as it decomposes.
LaMair: “Landfills are the third-largest source of methane in the United States.”
Edwin LaMair is with the nonprofit Environmental Defense Fund.
When methane is released into the atmosphere, it contributes to climate change because it’s a potent planet-warming gas. In the short term, methane traps 80 times more heat than carbon dioxide.
Many landfills are required to report their methane emissions to the EPA, and in 2021, they reported releasing 3.7 million metric tons.
However, LaMair’s group is utilizing satellite data to monitor methane from landfills, and he believes the actual number could be much higher than reported.
LaMair: “Recent satellite measurements have shown that actual emissions could be over 6 million metric tons per year.”
Therefore, LaMair argues that to prevent the most severe impacts of climate change, it is crucial to reduce this heat-trapping pollution.
For instance, landfills could capture the gas, which can then be utilized to generate energy.
He also suggests that individuals can help reduce methane by sending less food and yard waste to landfills in the first place.
Reporting credit: Ethan Freedman / ChavoBart Digital Media
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