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Newcastle Herald: Leukaemia, asthma, kidney disease: Doctors detail the health consequences of methane exposure

Doctors warn about the health risks of methane exposure in the Upper Hunter, which has some of Australia's highest levels of the gas, writes Mattew Kelly for the Newcastle Herald.
Preliminary data from the monitoring platform Open Methane suggests methane levels could be twice as high as reported, with emissions from gas and coal projects potentially rivaling those from agriculture.

Newcastle-based rheumatologist and member of Doctors for the Environment, John Van Der Kallen, referenced the group's recent report titled "Fossil Fuels are a Health Hazard." The report indicates that communities residing near elevated levels of methane face a heightened risk of leukemia, asthma, kidney disease, and low birth weights.

Dr. Van Der Kallen also raised concerns about how Australia plans to meet its Global Methane Pledge goal of a 30 percent reduction in methane emissions by 2030, especially if new fossil fuel projects keep receiving approval.
"The leading cause of these emissions is fossil fuels. I feel a bit sorry for the farmers because they are trying to reduce emissions the best they can but they get painted as the bad guys," he said.

Read the full article in the Newcastle Herald (This article is paywalled)

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