Methane International

The Global Methane Initiative Update

Issue 23, April 2011

Administrative Support Group Welcomes Monica Shimamura

The Administrative Support Group (ASG) introduces Monica Shimamura as its new Co-Director. Monica joins Henry Ferland in providing overall coordination to the Global Methane Initiative (GMI). She comes from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) Stratospheric Protection Division, where she collaborated with various agencies, stakeholders, and regional offices to implement the domestic side of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer through the Clean Air Act. Before that, Monica served as an air enforcement officer in U.S. EPA's New York regional office. She has lived and worked in Australia, Belize, Japan, and the United Kingdom. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, attending music performances, horseback riding, and scuba diving.

Monica is looking forward to working with GMI organizations as they move forward on projects that are reducing and recovering methane as an energy source. Monica can be reached at shimamura.monica@epa.gov or (202) 343-9337.

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First Middle Eastern Partner Country

GMI welcomed Jordan, the first Middle Eastern nation to become a Partner Country, on 22 April 2011. Delegates from the country will participate in the Agriculture and Landfill Subcommittees as well as on the Wastewater Task Force. Based on data from the U.S. EPA's Global Anthropogenic Emissions of Non-CO₂ Greenhouse Gases (PDF, 274 pp, 4 MB) report, Jordan's 2010 estimated anthropogenic methane emissions totaled 2.4 million metric tons carbon dioxide equivalent (MMTCO₂E). Landfills represent more than 40 percent of Jordan's anthropogenic methane emissions—1.02 MMTCO₂E—and an additional 35 percent (0.83 MMTCO₂E) come from the agriculture (manure management), oil and gas, and wastewater sectors.

The country's National Center for Research and Development/Energy Research Program , which performs studies, research, and experimental projects in new and renewable energy sources, will be integral to GMI participation. The Center will contribute to creating a biogas industry and market, developing a Biogas Master Plan through 2020, and building biogas technology capacity. The Center will also embark on a country-wide survey of organic waste producers (e.g., cattle and poultry manure, municipal solid waste, wastewater, agriculture waste), as well as calculating Jordan's greenhouse gas and methane contribution to climate change. The ASG looks forward to Jordan's participation in the Initiative.

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Upcoming Subcommittee Meetings

In response to popular demand, the Agriculture Subcommittee, Coal Mines Subcommittee, Landfill Subcommittee, and Oil & Gas Systems Subcommittee will host their next meetings by webinar. Through webinar meetings, GMI hopes to support greater participation by both delegates and Project Network members. The Landfill Subcommittee webinar will take place 1 June 2011, and the Agriculture Subcommittee webinar will take place on 14 June 2011, while dates for the other subcommittee webinars are still being confirmed.

Meeting information will be available in upcoming weeks. ASG will send an email announcing details via its listserve. To register for the webinar, simply click on the link and follow the prompts. You'll receive a confirmation email with all the necessary information and instructions for logging on to attend the meeting, which will be conducted using presentations on the Internet and an associated teleconference. GMI hopes that the webinar format will allow each sector to conduct necessary business, while reducing participant travel expenses and carbon footprint. All subcommittees are planning to follow up the webinar with in-person meetings later this year. The dates and locations of those meetings will be announced shortly.

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GMI Spotlight: Nigeria Advancing Sustainable Solid Waste Management

Nigeria is the most populated country in Africa, and many of its rural and urban areas lack access to proper waste disposal sites. Moreover, Nigerians have to cope with health hazards and environmental degradation associated with these uncontrolled dump sites. However, one woman, Achenyo Idachaba, the founder of consulting firm Greennovative Chain is promoting the development of sustainable solid waste management practices. Both the public and environment can benefit from improved landfill management and the recovery and use of methane as a reliable and local energy source.

With Greennovative Chain, Achenyo donated her time and materials to conduct assessments of four landfills in Ibadan, Nigeria. Her analysis, shared at the 2010 Partnership Expo, indicates that two of the landfills could reduce 299,000 MTCO₂E emissions and generate close to one megawatt of energy onsite. Now she's working as a subcontractor on a GMI grant to conduct the first national landfill survey for Nigeria.

This grant, received by Rutgers University in 2009, builds on a previous GMI grant that conducted preliminary site visits and assessments at landfills in two Nigerian cities, Lagos and Abuja. In order to complete a national landfill inventory, Rutgers contracted Achenyo to collect data, targeting landfills in six other major population centers in Nigeria. The goal of the project, as explained by David Specca, Assistant Director at the EcoComplex at Rutgers University, is "to help local officials turn dump sites into assets." The first phase of research entailed meeting with waste management authorities and landfill managers in Akure, Jos, Kano, Kaduna, Zaria, and Port Harcourt to explain the project, and distribute a survey designed to collect information for the GMI International Landfill Database. After data collection, Achenyo conducted preliminary site assessments at 26 dumpsites and shared results in presentation forums with landfill managers to underscore the potential for recovering landfill gas (LFG) for energy as well as the economic development benefits.

The research has taken Achenyo across Nigeria, where she has seen "a keen and genuine interest among officials at the local, state, and national levels to better understand the benefits of LFG collection systems." The challenges are significant. Several of the state waste management authorities lack the optimum number of vehicles and infrastructure to collect solid waste, resulting in many illegal uncontrolled dumps. Most of these sites lack bottom liners to protect groundwater or soil to cover the waste to protect the public from epidemic outbreaks. Open fires and smoke are another health and safety hazard found at the various sites. Landfill managers need training about proper disposal practices and resources to install appropriate infrastructure and remediation to facilitate LFG capture and recovery. However, small measurable steps are taking place thanks to Achenyo and GMI's support. Achenyo's meetings with local officials started a dialogue on the benefits of LFG energy recovery. The next step is to explore partnerships with private companies to begin to improve disposal sites and recover LFG. Ideally, LFG energy recovery will provide a revenue stream through the sale of power and carbon emission reductions through Carbon Financing such as the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) as established under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. In addition, Rutgers hopes to train Nigerian students to manage businesses at landfills, such as greenhouses that can utilize LFG as a source for heat and energy.

Developing LFG energy projects requires intensive ground work and collaboration, resources offered through GMI. Nigeria has taken an active role in GMI's efforts since 2004, when it became one of the first countries to join the initiative. Achenyo's efforts exemplify the dedication of many people currently working in the field trying to create a reliable, clean energy source and improve local living conditions.

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Project Development Opportunities for Developers or Investors

Agricultural Resource Assessments
GMI supported the completion of livestock and agro-industry resource assessments in twelve countries. The objective is to identify and characterize the potential for incorporating anaerobic digestion into waste management systems, to reduce methane emissions, and to provide a renewable source of energy. Based on the resource assessments done so far, more than 54 MMTCO₂E could be reduced by implementing anaerobic digestion systems into the agricultural waste sector (see Table 1). These resource assessments, together with feasibility studies and demonstration projects, will help serve as the basis for future country-level policy planning and development of an agricultural methane implementation plan. Recently completed country-wide resource assessments are listed below. All country assessments can be found under the Agriculture Subcommittee's Additional Resources section.

Table 1
Country	Total Carbon Emission Reductions (MTCO2E/yr)
Argentina	2,274,700
Brazil	20,313,300
Colombia	1,241,700
Dominican Republic	354,800
Ecuador	386,500
India	5,716,100
Mexico	14,785,600
Philippines	2,553,800
Thailand	4,956,000
Vietnam	1,420,300
Total	54,002,800

• In March 2011, GMI posted the Resource Assessment for Livestock and Agro-Industrial Wastes—Dominican Republic (PDF, 69 pp, 1.8 MB), which characterizes methane reduction potential in the country and provides a ranking of the resources. The sectors with the highest potential for methane reduction and carbon offsets were swine, rum distilleries, sugar, and dairy cattle.
  
  
• In January 2011, GMI prepared a Resource Assessment for Livestock and Agro-Industrial Wastes—India (PDF, 109 pp, 1.5 MB), documenting the potential for incorporating anaerobic digestion into livestock manure and agro-industrial (agricultural commodity processing) waste management systems. The sectors identified as having the greatest potential for methane emission reductions are dairy cattle, sugar and distilleries, fruit and vegetables, corn and cornstarch, and cassava starch (tapioca). By utilizing the methane produced in these sectors, India will be able to both reduce methane emissions and replace fossil fuels within the country.
  
  
• In November 2010, GMI prepared a Resource Assessment for Livestock and Agro-Industrial Wastes—Mexico (PDF, 69 pp, 948K), identifying the dairy cattle sector as having the highest potential for methane reduction and carbon offsets, followed by the swine, sugar cane processing and ethanol production, and slaughterhouse sectors. Mexico has implemented a methane reduction program in the swine sector with support from GMI. The program's efforts include the development of National Technical Standards for the Design and Construction of Bio-Digesters (Spanish only) (PDF, 10 pp, 107K) , as well as the design of a developer certification program to maintain consistency with the standards and reduce project risk for farm owners when making methane recovery investment decisions. Currently, there are approximately 170 anaerobic digesters operating in Mexico.
  
  
• Also last November, GMI published the results of its investigation into obstacles faced by household- and commercial-scale pork production in the Philippines. The report, Barriers and Constraints to Implementation of Anaerobic Digestion Systems in Swine Farms in the Philippines (PDF, 20 pp, 164K), is based on stakeholder interviews, data review, and communications with key experts and farm owners.
  
  
• In October 2010, GMI completed its Resource Assessment for Livestock and Agro-Industrial Wastes—Brazil (PDF, 101 pp, 1.5 MB), which evaluates the potential for incorporating anaerobic digestion into Brazil's livestock manure and agro-industrial waste management systems. By incorporating anaerobic digestion systems into their agricultural sector, Brazil would be able to both reduce methane emissions and provide a renewable source of energy. The assessment found that the swine sector holds the highest potential for methane reduction and carbon offsets, followed by sugarcane mills and distilleries and slaughterhouses.
  
  
• Also last October, GMI completed its Resource Assessment for Livestock and Agro-Industrial Wastes—Ecuador (PDF, 88 pp, 1.8 MB), reporting on the potential methane emission reductions and fossil fuel replacement carbon offsets in Ecuador. The sector with the highest potential for methane reduction and carbon offsets is the ethanol sector, followed by the sugar, palm oil, and shrimp processing sectors. It is important to note that the swine and dairy sectors might also have some potential for methane reduction, though they were not included in the calculations due to the limited availability of waste management system data.

Are you interested in any of these projects? If you are, please contact the ASG or the Agriculture Subcommittee co-chairs to learn how you might be able to reduce methane emission through the above projects.

LFG Assessment Reports
GMI is conducting landfill-specific assessments at pre-screened landfills identified as having good potential for an LFG energy project. In March 2011, GMI completed LFG assessment reports for several landfills in China. These landfills are ready for developers to take to the next stage of development:

• The Lingshan LFG Assessment Report (PDF, 66 pp, 3.2 MB) was completed for the Lingshan Landfill located in Shandong Province, China. The assessment, funded by a 2008 GMI grant, estimated the gas generation and energy recovery potential of the landfill. The report indicates that the site produces a moderate and steadily increasing amount of LFG.
  
  
• The Zhanjiang LFG Assessment Report (PDF, 81 pp, 2.8 MB), also funded under a GMI grant, was completed for the Zhanjiang Landfill located in Quang Dong Province, China. The landfill is owned by the City of Zhanjiang and operated by the Municipal and Landscape Bureau of Zhanjiang City. The analysis found that although the site produces a moderate amount of LFG, initial indications are that a project may not be economically feasible right now.
  
  
• GMI completed the Hangshantou LFG Assessment Report (PDF, 51 pp, 1.6MB) for the landfill in Wupo Village, northeast of Xiangfan City, China. The Wuhan University of Technology's Design Institute designed the landfill, which is owned and operated by the Xiangfan City Solid Waste Treatment Company Limited. The assessment found that the landfill currently emits enough LFG to sustain an LFG energy project. With a significant and relatively steady quantity of LFG available and the presence of potential end users, the site is a good opportunity for the development of direct-use or electricity-generating projects.
  
  
• GMI also released a Report on Technical Assistance and Monitoring of the Current Landfill Gas Management Facilities at the Gaoantun Landfill, Beijing City, China (PDF, 65 pp, 5.8 MB). Beijing Chaoyang Circular Economy Industrial Park operates the site. Although analysts anticipate that future LFG generation rates will decline due to reduced raw waste intake, implementation of improvements can increase the efficiency of LFG recovery, thereby fulfilling two main objectives of the LFG management system: reducing odor nuisance to neighboring residents and realizing the financial and environmental benefits of LFG as a source of renewable energy.

All the landfill assessment reports can be found in the associated project listed under Projects on the GMI website. Please contact the ASG or the Landfill Subcommittee co-chairs if you are interested in any of these projects.

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GMI Hits the Skies

GMI has been travelling to promote methane recovery and use as a clean energy source. Here are some of our highlights:

• In December 2010, several GMI- related meetings were hosted in Indonesia. A GMI landfill representative met with several public and private sector LFG stakeholders, including the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources ; several LFG project developers, including Project Network members Sindicatum Carbon Capital and Golder Associates; the Clinton Climate Initiative ; the City of Jakarta Solid Waste Department; and the Indonesian Solid Waste Association . At the meetings, they discussed current barriers to LFG energy projects in the country and a strategy for providing support to future LFG energy projects. The trip also included a visit to landfills in the Jakarta area: the Bantar Gerbang Landfill (which recently installed two 1-megawatt GE Jenbacher engines and is adding two more engines at the LFG electric generating plant) and the Bekasi Landfill (where they are currently flaring the methane). Both of these projects were financed with support from the CDM. Indonesia has five other LFG capture projects currently registered with the CDM, with one other landfill in Makasser currently flaring a small amount of LFG. There are several other larger landfills not yet registered with the CDM that could have potential for LFG energy recovery. GMI plans to collect additional data on Indonesian landfills to better assess the most promising opportunities for LFG recovery and conduct additional follow-up visits to existing projects to help improve the LFG recovery rates.
  
  
• In February 2011, a GMI oil and gas sector representative attended the National Bureau of Asian Research's Pacific Energy Summit in Jakarta, Indonesia. The summit convened leaders from government, business, and academia to explore innovative solutions to the challenges of energy security and climate change. The theme of the summit was "Unlocking the Potential of Natural Gas in the Asia-Pacific ." Over three days, the summit addressed transitioning to a low-carbon economy with natural gas, the potentially growing role of natural gas to meet rising energy demand, and the current and projected domestic natural gas markets. Papers and presentations can be found on the National Bureau of Asian Research's website . During this visit, GMI meetings were held with representatives of LEMIGAS (Indonesia's government research and technology institution operating in the area of upstream and downstream oil and gas business) and with a representative of Indonesia's Ministry of Oil and Gas to discuss how Indonesia might become more engaged in the GMI oil and gas sector.
  
  
• In February 2011, GMI worked with China and the Philippines to develop a Program of Activities for World Bank Preparation Missions. The China mission, based in Hebei Province, is designed to reduce methane emissions from open anaerobic lagoons or other high-methane-emitting waste management systems at medium- and large-size pig farms. Ultimately, the World Bank hopes to purchase Certified Emission Reductions (CERs) from approximately 600 farms. Funds from the CERs can help finance anaerobic digesters to reduce lagoon-based emissions and provide technical support to local farmers. Identifying participants and disseminating information among farms located hours apart are two challenges facing project leaders. In the Philippines, local officials met with GMI delegates to discuss the development of the National Methane Initiative, which focuses on reducing methane and developing household-scale energy systems in the swine sector.

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Now Available: LFG Project Development Handbook

Poland's Oil and Gas Institute (INIG) completed a project development handbook, Landfill Gas Energy Technologies (PDF, 90 pp, 2.9 MB), to help stakeholders evaluate LFG energy projects and choose appropriate energy recovery technologies. This handbook was developed under a 2009 grant from the U.S. EPA. INIG received more than $150,000 to fund a tour of the landfills, and design a project development handbook and course materials (PDF, 69 pp, 6 MB) to be distributed at an LFG energy workshop at the end of the project. INIG also created an LFG energy portal , which documents regional work in Poland related to LFG capture and use.

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GMI Hosts LFG Workshop in Serbia

In December 2010, GMI hosted a workshop at the International Solid Waste Association's 2010 Conference in Novi Sad, Serbia. The GMI workshop, Creating Viable LFG to Energy Projects in South Eastern—Eastern Europe (PDF, 2 pp, 113K) included case studies, presentations on LFG project development and financing, and an overview of the solid waste sector in Serbia. During the opening session, Tom Frankiewicz, of the U.S. EPA's Landfill Methane Outreach Program, provided an introduction to the Global Methane Initiative (PDF, 15 pp, 445K). During the LFG-Energy Project Systems Assessment session, Swarupa Ganguli, also from the Landfill Methane Outreach Program, presented on the assessment process for international landfills (PDF, 21 pp, 731K). Project Network members Carbon Trade, GE Energy—Jenbacher Gas Engines, and SCS Engineers also spoke. Presentations can be found on GMI's website.

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India's ONGC Wins U.S. EPA Gas STAR Award

In November 2010, U.S. EPA's Natural Gas STAR Program recognized leaders at their Annual Implementation Workshop . Awards were based on reported methane emission reductions achieved, the range of different methods to reduce methane emissions, and general involvement in the Program, as well as other innovative company initiatives minimizing methane emissions. India's Oil and Natural Gas Company (ONGC) , a state-owned oil and gas company, won Natural Gas STAR's International Partner of the Year award. ONGC, a GMI Partner Organization, is one of Asia's largest oil exploration and production companies, providing 77 percent of India's crude oil and 81 percent of India's natural gas.

The U.S. EPA and ONGC have collaborated on prefeasibility studies to identify and estimate major methane emission sources. Based on the results, the company is implementing methane mitigation technologies and practices at multiple locations. Specifically, ONGC has implemented both inspection and maintenance and flare reduction programs. They have additional plans to install vapor recovery units on storage tanks. As a corollary effort of working with U.S. EPA, ONGC has set up a leak detection and measurement team. ONGC has also established an overall long-term climate change vision of carbon neutrality. Their vision and practices are included in their first Corporate Sustainability Report (PDF, 80 pp, 2.9 MB) , released in September 2010.

ONGC was also instrumental in organizing and sponsoring the 2010 Partnership Expo in New Delhi, India, and serves on GMI's Oil and Gas Subcommittee. The ASG looks forward to continued collaboration with this Partner organization.

Source: U.S. EPA, Natural Gas STAR Partner Update , December 2010.

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LFG Projects Moving Forward

LFG projects in GMI Partner Countries Ecuador, India, and Nigeria are all one step closer to using methane as an energy source. GMI resource assessments concluded that LFG energy projects were feasible at major landfills in these countries, and spurred the landfill owners to issue requests for proposals to develop LFG energy projects. The landfills with requests for proposals, now closed, include:

• The Las Iguanas Landfill in Guayaquil, Ecuador. In November 2010, the Municipality of Guayaquil released a request for proposals , seeking a company to help capture, treat, and use the LFG released from the landfill. The landfill was featured in the 2007 Partnership Expo; GMI conducted a pumping trial and prepared a detailed pre-feasibility study.
  
  
• The Uruli Devachi Landfill in Pune, India. Pune Municipal Corporation recently issued a request for qualifications to implement a landfill closure, which included an LFG collection system at this landfill. The landfill was featured at the 2010 Partnership Expo, highlighting the results of a GMI-sponsored pumping trial and pre-feasibility study of LFG capture and utilization. The proposed closure project includes several components, such as installation of a liner cover, leachate and LFG collection, and an enclosed gas flaring system, along with landscaping on the capped area and associated infrastructure. The awardee will also be responsible for maintenance of all the facilities constructed under the project for a 15-year period.
  
  
• The Abule-Egba and Solous Landfills in Lagos, Nigeria. The Lagos Waste Management Authority , in conjunction with the Clinton Climate Initiative , released a request for proposals to conduct feasibility studies at both of these landfills. The project will have three main parts: field assessments to estimate the quality and quantity of LFG at the two landfills, a feasibility report analyzing the LFG capture and utilization potential at the landfills, and educational outreach as well as technical training for local personnel. This work builds on previous grants from the U.S. EPA, including an EPA-sponsored landfill inventory for Nigeria, as well as a preliminary assessment (PDF, 57 pp, 4.3 MB) of four sites.

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Upcoming Outreach Activities

Events that may be of interest to Project Network members and Partner organizations include:

• The International Conference on Solid Waste: Moving Towards Sustainable Resource Management to be held on 2–6 May 2011 in Hong Kong. The conference will focus on various issues related to waste management and sustainable resource management. GMI will present information on the landfill tools and resources available through GMI. In particular, the presentation will highlight LFG modeling tools and assessments underway in Asia Partner Countries, as well as other resources from the initiative, including the international landfill database and training opportunities to improve LFG recovery rates.
  
  
• Clean Power Asia 2011 will be held on 28–30 June 2011 in Bangkok, Thailand. This event is a regional conference and exhibition that focuses on clean power initiatives, projects, investment opportunities, and successes in the region. Industry and government stakeholders from Partner Countries such as China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam will be participating. GMI will be speaking at the event about converting biogas to energy in Asia, and will present information on GMI's role in promoting biogas energy recovery, GMI tools and resources available, technologies available for biogas energy recovery, and examples of biogas projects in Asia.
  
  
• The Africa Carbon Forum will be held on 4–6 July 2011 in Marrakech, Morocco. Africa represents a tremendous emerging opportunity to establish sanitary waste disposal practices and technologies to improve public health and the environment. Of critical importance is the need for capacity building, technology transfer, and investment to improve solid waste disposal conditions and consequently the lives of millions of Africans. Improved disposal sites will also lead to conditions that are favorable to LFG recovery, which can yield substantial energy, economic, and environmental benefits (e.g., climate). GMI has been working to improve solid waste disposal practices and advance LFG recovery opportunities in Ethiopia, Ghana, and Nigeria. Government officials from Africa, as well as representatives from GMI, will discuss current solid waste management and LFG recovery projects and future initiatives in Africa.

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Recent Developments and Resources

• United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) Publishes Climate Change Report. In December 2010, UNEP published Waste and Climate Change: Global Trends and Strategy Framework (PDF, 79 pp, 1.4 MB) , which describes ways in which the waste management sector can become a major contributor toward the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The report identifies harvesting of methane from landfills and agricultural waste as a key area for future emission reductions. It also provides a list of initiatives that have specifically identified links to waste and climate change; Methane to Markets (now GMI) is identified as one of the initiatives.
  
  
• Biocycle Highlights Chinese Landfill in Global Section. In their February 2011 issue, Biocycle published an article titled "Integrated Solid Waste Management in Guangzhou," which outlines ways in which the city is becoming more sustainable. Guangzhou, China's third-largest city, is home to Xinfeng Municipal Solid Waste Sanitary Landfill—the largest landfill in China. In order to become more sustainable, the city is working to improve its waste collection system. Currently the landfill has a leachate collection and treatment system as well as a methane recovery system. Guangzhou's approach could be used as a model for overcoming challenges that face China in managing its solid wastes.
  
  

  Source: Martin Medina, Biocycle, "Integrated Solid Waste Management in Guangzhou," February 2011.

• Organizations Collaborate on Impact of Black Carbon. In February 2011, UNEP and the World Meteorological Organization published Integrated Assessment of Black Carbon and Tropospheric Ozone, Summary for Decision Makers (PDF, 36 pp, 2.6 MB) , which examines drivers of emissions, trends in concentrations, and impacts on climate, human health, and ecosystems of black carbon, tropospheric ozone, and its precursors. Scientific evidence indicates that control of black carbon particles and tropospheric ozone through emission reduction measures would have immediate benefits for human well-being. One of these measures includes the recovery of methane from coal, oil and gas extraction, landfills, and the banning of field burning of agricultural waste.

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