In the Media

Estufas de gas pueden ser tan contaminantes como el humo de segunda mano, según estudioLos investigadores de la universidad californiana y la organización sin fines de lucro PSE Healthy Energy precisaron que solo se necesitan 45 minutos de un solo fogón de gas o un horno de gas a 350 grados Fahrenheit (176 Celsius) para emitir de 10 a 50 veces más benceno que las estufas eléctricas.

Millions of orphaned oil and gas wells litter the world and must be cleaned upA global team of researchers, spearheaded by McGill University, has embarked on a crucial mission to develop a comprehensive framework for dealing with these abandoned wells.

Assessing environmental risks and opportunities of orphaned oil and gas wellsMcGill University researchers are leading an international team whose goal is to create a framework to help governments in the U.S. and around the world assess and prioritize remediation strategies for orphaned oil and gas wells.

Stanford Study Finds Combustion from Gas Stoves Can Raise Indoor Levels of Benzene, a Chemical Linked to a Higher Risk of Blood Cell CancersThe new paper is the first to analyze benzene emissions when a stove or oven is in use. Previous studies focused on leaks from stoves when they are off, and did not directly measure resulting benzene concentrations.

Abandoned oil and gas wells can leak high levels of methane and benzene, study shows“If it’s leaking gas near where you live, work, play, you can be exposed to hazardous air pollutants,” Lebel said of abandoned wells. “It’s not just a climate concern but also a health concern.”

House passes bill to stop gas stove regulationsEric Lebel, a senior scientist for PSE Health Energy, previously told Scripps News there are two main concerns that gas stoves pose. One is that stoves can emit methane gas, which is a potent greenhouse gas.

Abandoned oil and gas wells can leak high levels of methane and benzene, study showsEric Lebel, a senior scientist at PSE Healthy Energy, said there is no safe level of exposure to benzene, citing guidelines by the World Health Organization.

Pennsylvania Expects $400 Million in Infrastructure Funds to Begin Plugging Thousands of Abandoned Oil Wells“It seems like a lot of money, but it is woefully inadequate to address this whole issue,” Seth Shonkoff, an environmental scientist who is executive director of PSE Healthy Energy, said of the federal funding.

Staying Inside Won’t Protect You from Smoke Unless the Air is Clean“It’s much easier to remove the pollution source than to try to mitigate it, or modify it, or filter it,” said Drew Michanowicz, a senior scientist with the nonprofit PSE Healthy Energy.

How the US Can Fight the Wildfire Smoke Crisis“Public health guidance and climate adaptation policies should account for the reality that many communities will be exposed to multiple hazards, sometimes concurrently,” wrote Lee Ann Hill, director of energy and health at a non-profit research institute called PSE Healthy Energy, in a Federation of American Scientists document recommending wildfire policy actions. Resilience hubs could provide relief to vulnerable communities not just during major smoke events but also extreme heat and cold, or other weather disasters.

Abandoned Oil and Gas Wells Emit Carcinogens and Other Harmful Pollutants, Groundbreaking Study ShowsIn the study, researchers with the nonprofit research and policy institute PSE Healthy Energy measured both the emission rates and the concentrations of harmful VOCs coming from abandoned wells in the heart of the nation’s largest gas field, the Marcellus Shale.

Amid fracking boom, Pennsylvania faces toxic wastewater reckoning“What happens when the party stops, and there’s a huge glut of produced water?” asked Seth Shonkoff, an environmental scientist who is executive director of Physicians, Scientists and Engineers (PSE) for Healthy Energy. He said disposal of waste is “an Achilles heel of the industry.”