Daniels Family Sustainable Energy Foundation
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RISING METHANE EMISSIONS: VIOLENTLY MELTING ARCTIC LANDSCAPES AND CULTURE
New evidence shows manmade methane emissions causing 'slow violence' on Indigenous people and Arctic ecosystems
By Sigrid Vestergaard Frandsen
New studies show that rising methane emissions are significantly impacting the Arctic environment and Indigenous populations. Due to methane’s potent greenhouse effect—estimated to be 80 times stronger than carbon dioxide in the short term—these emissions are a major contributor to climate change. This warming effect accelerates further methane release from Arctic sources, creating a feedback loop known as permafrost carbon feedback (PCF) that intensifies global warming.​
Rising methane emissions in the last 50 years. Credit: Dlugokencky et al., NOAA.
Indigenous communities in the Arctic experience profound impacts from methane-driven environmental changes. As permafrost thaws, it destabilizes land, disrupting infrastructure, housing, and traditional food storage. Many of these communities depend on subsistence hunting, fishing, and gathering, but the changing environment threatens their access to these vital resources. Increased rates of respiratory and cardiovascular conditions are linked to prolonged exposure to ground-level ozone, which forms from methane. Cancer rates are also higher among Indigenous populations in the Arctic compared to non-Indigenous residents in the same areas.
Exposed permafrost exposed after a section of Alaska's coastal tundra collapsed. Credit: USGS Alaska Science Center.
Remote sensing data, particularly from satellites like Sentinel-5P, has been essential for observing methane emissions across the Arctic. This satellite’s TROPOMI instrument detects and measures tropospheric methane, identifying emission hotspots in Alaska, Northern Canada, Greenland, Siberia, and the Nordic regions. Infrared spectroscopic analysis enables precise tracking and quantification of methane emissions, even in remote and inaccessible areas. Findings indicate that regions with severe permafrost thaw have higher methane concentrations, directly linking environmental degradation to climate effects.
Manmade methane emissions worldwide, highlighting pipelines in subarctic regions. Credit: NASA Earth Observatory
Scientific evidence and eyewitness testimonies by Indigenous leaders show the immediate need for policy changes that recognize environmental degradation as “slow violence”—a concept describing the gradual harm inflicted on vulnerable communities by environmental hazards. Slow violence often remains unnoticed because it unfolds over long periods, yet the cumulative impact on Arctic Indigenous populations is substantial. Incorporating environmental justice into human rights frameworks is essential to safeguard these communities from the persistent effects of climate change and methane emissions.
Inuit man surveying melting sea ice, blocking his traditional hunting routes. Credit: Creative Commons.
Scientific evidence and eyewitness testimonies by Indigenous leaders show the immediate need for policy changes that recognize environmental degradation as “slow violence”—a concept describing the gradual harm inflicted on vulnerable communities by environmental hazards. Slow violence often remains unnoticed because it unfolds over long periods, yet the cumulative impact on Arctic Indigenous populations is substantial. Incorporating environmental justice into human rights frameworks is essential to safeguard these communities from the persistent effects of climate change and methane emissions.
Addressing Arctic methane emissions is not only an environmental necessity but also a critical human rights issue. The integration of remote sensing data reveals the direct and indirect impacts of methane on Indigenous communities, underscoring the need for policies that protect their rights to health, cultural preservation, and land security.
Citations
Dlugokencky, E. J., L. P. Steele, P. M. Lang, and K. A. Masarie (1994), The growth rate and distribution of atmospheric methane, J. Geophys. Res., 99, 17,021– 17,043, doi:10.1029/94JD01245.
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​Lu, X., et al. (2021) Global methane budget and trend, 2010–2017: complementarity of inverse analyses using in situ (GLOBALVIEWplus CH4 ObsPack) and satellite (GOSAT) observations. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 21, 4637–4657.
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Sigrid K. Vestergaard Frandsen (2023). Secrets of the Arctic: Monitoring Methane Gas Emissions' Effects on Human Rights (UCD).