Daphne Wysham: Pulling The Methane Emergency Brake

Sometimes seemingly intractable problems are not as impossible to solve as one might think. A case in point is the hole in the ozone layer which was largely resolved by the fluorocarbon-banning policies that stemmed from the 1987 Montreal Protocol. Over the years, we have spoken with one of the key crafters of this historic treaty, Durwood Zaelke, a couple of times on Sea Change Radio and this week we talk with Daphne Wysham, whose organization, Methane Action, is working with Zaelke and others to figure out a way to reduce methane emissions from the atmosphere. We discuss the existential threat humans face by emitting all of this methane, look at some of the barriers and possible solutions to the problem and learn about the Methane Emergency Brake campaign that Wysham and Zaelke helped create. Narrator | 00:02 - This is Sea Change Radio covering the shift to sustainability. I'm Alex Wise.  Daphne Wysham (DW) | 00:23 - There are a variety of different strategies, but there is a real urgency to getting this underway in the next few years because we're out of time and we need to be pulling the methane emergency break as quickly as possible.  Narrator | 00:39 - Sometimes seemingly intractable problems are not as impossible to solve as one might think. A case in point is the hole in the ozone layer, which was largely resolved by the fluorocarbon banning policies that stemmed from the 1987 Montreal Protocol. Over the years, we've spoken with one of the key crafters of this historic treaty, Durwood Zaelke a couple of times on Sea Change Radio, and this week we talk with Daphne Wysham, whose organization Methane Action is working with Zeki and others to figure out a way to reduce methane emissions from the atmosphere. We discussed the existential threat humans face by emitting all of this methane. Look at some of the barriers and possible solutions to the problem and learn about the methane emergency brake campaign that Weisman Zeki helped create. I am joined now on Sea Change Radio by Daphne Wysham. She is the CEO of Methane Action. Daphne, welcome to See Change Radio. Daphne Wysham (DW) | 01:55 - Thank you. It's good to be here.  Alex Wise (AW) | 01:57 - So why don't you first explain what Methane Action is all about and what the mission of your organization is. DW | 02:06 - Yeah. So Methane Action has been around for about four years, and we, uh, were launched prior to the launch of the Global Methane Pledge, which happened in 2021 and dating back to 2020. We were calling for a binding affair and binding global methane agreement, um, which we believe now more than ever is needed. We've, um, had several years to see the results of the pledges that countries have put forward, um, for 30% cuts below 2020 by 2030 of methane emissions. And unfortunately, there are two things wrong with a pledge. One is it's insufficient to, even if everybody were to meet their, uh, methane pledges, it would be insufficient to meet the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement. Um, and secondly, people are not meeting those goals. So, um, we join, uh, the European Parliament, the, uh, prime Minister of Barbados and Chair of the Climate Vulnerable Forum, um, and a number of other leaders in calling for a binding global methane agreement, starting probably at the, uh, uh, subnational and then going up to the national level and the international level.  AW | 03:32 - So what is the Methane Emergency Brake Campaign? You just were in bond Germany representing that effort. Why don't you spell out a little bit more in the detail of how this campaign should work ideally?  DW | 03:50 - Yeah. So the initial sort of co-sponsors of the Methane Emergency Brake Campaign are the Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development based out of Washington, DC and Paris. Um, Methane Action, uh, based outta the US but working globally. And, uh, a group called Leave It in the Ground Organization, uh, or lingo for short. Um,