The presentations from this recent meeting are online. Those gathered looked at the risks of both urban methane leaks and fugitive gas emissions from hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. Check out the maps of Boston produced by the Picarro Isotopic Methane Analyzer, key to the GPS-equipped methane-detector mobile.

University researchers and partners have found hundreds of natural gas leaks in Greater Boston having conducted a mobile greenhouse gas audit earlier this year. At the same time, environmental and economic costs of lost and unaccounted gas from extraction in rural areas are coming under increasing scrutiny. Such gas leaks contribute to greenhouse warming potential; amounts to about $2 billion per year in US lost revenue; and have been implicated in damage and mortality of the urban and suburban forest canopy. Evidence indicates that the situation in Boston is likely similar to cities and towns across the nation.

The purpose of this workshop is to explore and create awareness around “the unknown” – the extent – the cause – the locations – the how – of these methane gas leaks; to explore rural- urban environmental and economic interdependencies surrounding the natural gas resource and industry; and develop a consensus on a research strategy to address these findings. Leaders from government, research, citizens, utilities and private sector will gather to share information and brainstorm next steps.