RES-2017-043 Resolution to Slow the Climate Crisis by Reducing Methane Emissions from the Fracked Gas and Power Industries

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RES-2017-043 3 RESOLUTION TO SLOW THE CLIMATE CRISIS BY REDUCING METHANE EMISSIONS FROM THE FRACKED GAS AND POWER INDUSTRIES WHEREAS, an unprecedented, three-year global heat wave,1 ongoing sea level rise and increasingly intense weather extremes are already devastating communities, wildlife and property in North Carolina and around the world;2 WHEREAS, those least responsible for causing this crisis have been hurt first and worst, primarily low- wealth communities and people of color, and humanity is quickly running out of time to slow this enormous challenge before it accelerates under its own momentum beyond our control; WHEREAS, methane is 80-100 times more potent than carbon dioxide at trapping Earth's heat,3 and has become the driving force behind the rapid heating of the planet;4 WHEREAS, large amounts of natural gas —which is mostly methane — are being vented and leaked directly into the air from various gas equipment, with emissions measured at rates of up to 12% of the total gas produced by wells using fracking technology;5 WHEREAS, these emissions make burning natural gas for electricity at least three times worse for the climate than coal,6 in addition to other health impacts and explosion risks;? WHEREAS, the recent surge in methane emissions is largely due to the US fracking boom,8 which is being driven by Duke Energy and other utilities' expanded use of gas to generate electricity;9 WHEREAS, most US gas and electricity corporations are fighting efforts to reduce methane emissions;1° WHEREAS, reducing methane emissions can be achieved quickly and cost-effectively while creating thousands of jobs;11 and WHEREAS, immediately reducing methane emissions from the US natural gas industry can slow global warming enough to allow time to replace fossil fuels with cheaper clean energy such as solar, wind and storage technologies;12 now therefore be it RESOLVED that North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper shall use his constitutionally-granted executive authority to ensure that: • by December 31, 2018 no natural gas originating from fracking operations is used in or transported through North Carolina; • by December 31, 2022 no other natural gas is used in or transported through North Carolina unless it can be verified that the methane emissions associated with its production, transportation, and end use are at most 0.5% of gas pumped from the well; and • no new natural gas-fired power plants or pipelines are constructed in North Carolina, and all existing gas plants and pipelines are phased out expeditiously and replaced with clean, renewable energy. March 2017