Google Street View cars sniff out gas leaks in cities

• Autores: Aviva Rutkin
• Localización: New scientist, ISSN 0262-4079, Nº. 2979, 2014, pág. 20
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • Sensors strapped to the top of the cars have mapped hundreds of methane leaks around Boston, New York's Staten Island and Indianapolis. The cars found about one leak per 1.5 kilometers in both Boston and Staten Island. Leaks were slightly less common in Indianapolis, occurring about once for every 320 kilometers driven. Methane leaks are a triple threat: they can cause explosions, accelerate the growth of global warming and waste money. A study last year found that US methane emissions are 1.5 to 1.7 times higher than current estimates, a discrepancy that has been attributed to hard-to-detect leaks. The mapping project--developed with the Environmental Defense Fund, an advocacy group based in New York City--aims to pinpoint these problematic spots and encourage gas companies to fix them.