Skip to main content

Meet the retired oil exec plugging forgotten wells to reduce emissions

11,102 Views

1,798 Questions Answered

Earth School

Let’s Begin…

Nine million Americans live near an orphan oil and gas well. These wells have no owner and were never sealed, so they're leaking out tons of methane and deadly gases unchecked. Tracking them down and sealing them with cement can be so costly that most states don't do it. But with new funding comes new hope. Follow one ex-oil executive and his team as he hunts down and plugs forgotten oil wells.

About how many people live close to an orphan well in the U.S., according to the video?

Watch the video and finish the Think section to complete the lesson.

About Earth School

We can save the world. Speed and Scale shows us how to unlock a cleaner, healthier and safer future by laying out a roadmap that will get us to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. How’s it going to work? We need to electrify transportation, decarbonize the grid, fix food, protect nature, clean up industry and remove carbon. To learn how we’re going to do all that - and to learn how you can take action now - explore this page.

Meet The Creators

More from Earth School