Our industry’s commitment to protecting the environment shows in recent EPA air quality data and other benchmarks. First, look at the downward trajectories in air emissions:

Occurring alongside increases in economic output, vehicle miles traveled and population:

Both reflect technological advances – U.S. refineries producing cleaner gasoline and diesel fuels that go into today’s more fuel-efficient vehicles. This has helped reduce U.S. air pollutants by 71 percent between 1970 and 2015, even as vehicle miles traveled increased by 184 percent, EPA says. Behind this is an industry investment of more than $321 billion toward improving the environmental performance of its products, facilities and operations between 1990 and 2015. Between 2000 and 2014, industry invested about $90 billion in new zero- or low-emissions technologies, more than twice that of the next closest industry sector and nearly as much as the federal government.

At the same time, increased use of domestic natural gas has helped reduce ozone concentrations in the air by 17 percent since 2005:

Significantly, that’s natural gas production with falling emissions of methane, according to EPA data – thanks to industry investments in advanced technologies that reduce leaks, capture emissions and improve energy efficiency. CO₂ from power generation is down to near 30-year lows, thanks in large part to greater use of natural gas:

All of the above points to important environmental progress – cleaner air and lower emissions of key greenhouse gases. These investments are part of overall spending by industry to find and produce the energy our country needs now and in the years ahead. Environmental protection is occurring during the exploration and development process itself through the use of seismic technology and horizontal drilling, both of which reduce industry’s environmental footprint.

Environmental protection includes energy transportation as well. Both pipelines and oil tankers safely deliver more than 99.99 percent of their cargoes to destinations.

The powerful combination of continually-improving industry practices, advancing state programs, and federal environmental statutes  ̶  all work together to provide an effective structure that allows for the essential development of the nation’s oil and natural gas resources while protecting the environment.

By Mark Green  

Originally posted April 24, 2017

Energy Tomorrow is brought to you by the American Petroleum Institute (API), which is the only national trade association that represents all aspects of America’s oil and natural gas industry. Our more than 500 corporate members, from the largest major oil company to the smallest of independents, come from all segments of the industry. They are producers, refiners, suppliers, pipeline operators and marine transporters, as well as service and supply companies that support all segments of the industry.