Methane: Climate Change, Energy Transition

When: Monday, March 28, 5:00pm MST

Where: Zoom – Preregister at LINK – no Facebook account necessary. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Description: “Methane: Climate Change, Energy Transition, Geopolitical Cudgel,” a Speaker Series talk by Dr. Anthony Ingraffea, the Dwight C. Baum Professor of Engineering, Emeritus, at Cornell University will be presented on Zoom Monday, March 28 at 5:00pm MST.

The push for a hydrogen economy in New Mexico is part of a global effort by the gas industry to create a new  “green” market to expand methane sales and greenwash their image at the same time. The connection of fracked methane to the proposed hydrogen economy became abundantly clear during the 2022 legislative session in Santa Fe that just ended.

The methane in fossil gas is a major driver of climate change. It is an impediment to the transition to a renewable energy world. It is at this very moment being used as a geopolitical cudgel.  Dr. Ingraffea will describe his research and give his opinions on these aspects of this simple molecule and hope to stimulate productive discussion.

Bio: Dr. Ingraffea’s research concentrates on computer simulation and physical testing of complex fracturing processes. He became Co-Editor-in-Chief of Engineering Fracture Mechanics in 2005. In 2011 TIME Magazine named him one of its “People Who Mattered”, and he became the first president of Physicians, Scientists, and Engineers for Healthy Energy, Inc. He is a co-author of papers on methane emissions, wellbore integrity, and conversion of New York and California to wind/sun/waterpower for all energy uses in the next few decades. Dr. Ingraffea was one of the first people to raise the alarm of the extreme dangers of methane pollution to the climate.

The March 350 New Mexico Speaker Series will be co-hosted by the NM Solar Energy Association.

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