Californians believed to have lived with the worst drought the past four years – one of the most stringent in their history. But the events of recent days suggest a 2016 equally epic, ecologically as climate. The Los Angeles area is the victim of an environmental disaster that experts consider “major”. It is due to leakage of methane that society Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas) seems unable to plug at this stage. Detected there already 80 days (!), The leak emerges from 30-50 tons of methane in the air every hour, experts say. It concerns especially as methane is a greenhouse gas ultrapolluant, 80 times more harmful than CO2.
Increases 25% of greenhouse gases generated in California
Occurred in the town of Porter Ranch, in the northern suburbs of Los Angeles, the leak is so important that it increases by almost 25% the greenhouse gases generated in California, believes the agency responsible for monitoring the air quality throughout the State. It forced thousands of residents, victims of nausea and diarrhea, to abandon their homes and flee the area. The situation is serious enough that California Governor has declared a state of emergency on Wednesday. “ C’e st the equivalent of the BP oil spill occurred in 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico, except that it occurs on land in a populated area “even advance Mitchell Englander, Councillor LA representative of Porter Ranch, quoted by the” New York Times. “
extreme weather events
Added to this is the threat of extreme weather events caused by El Niño . This phenomenon, which is characterized by an accumulation of warm waters in the Pacific and a reversal of the trade winds, causing weather patterns across the globe. He returns every three to seven years. But the present is the worst the world has seen in the last twenty years. After a month of historically warm December, California towels and torrential rain, causing floods, landslides and hellish traffic jams. Typically, El Niño knows its peak at Christmas. – Hence its nickname of “child” in reference to the Nativity
Behind the affectionate nickname is hiding a whole batch of calamities . Beyond California, which is rather relieved to fulfill its groundwater for now, it has already caused deadly tornadoes in Texas, and huge floods in England. It threatens agricultural récoles in many countries, raising fears of rising coffee prices, chocolate and sugar globally. The previous “El Nino” major, which took place in 1998, had resulted in economic losses of about $ 34 billion.
Economic impact difficult to measure
At this point, the United States are struggling to measure its economic impact. Beyond tornadoes in Texas, the phenomenon also brings its share of surprises: “ The warm climate supports real estate and trade sectors” , note the Bank of America economists. Spring temperatures that have been observed to the east side of the United States, are all the better perceived they succeed to two historically cold winters that paralyzed the country.
The rains that befell California will not be enough, however, to erase the drought plaguing the region for four years. “ We would need four years like that to replenish water reserves of the State ,” said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti.
The repairs will take several months
SoCalGas estimated leakage Porter Ranch will not be repaired before February or March. Usually leaks require only a few days of work, but this case is much more complex because the gas escapes not only the well but also soil and rocks around.
Gas tank is also one of the largest in the country and operated well is 61 years old. According to the “Los Angeles Times”, the engineers believe that a leak occurred in the leading pipeline gas. It is surrounded by a concrete pipe in which the gas is distributed to then go spread in soils. In order to repair the leak, engineers will have to dig two wells that would intercept gas upstream of the leak, just 1,200 meters deep. Work that will take months
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