Much of the sun’s energy that lands on Planet Earth is used by green plants to manufacture their own food and structural materials. By the miracle of photosynthesis, chlorophyll is able to use the sun’s radiation to combine carbon dioxide from the air with water to make carbohydrates, a huge family of chemicals that consist mainly of long chains of carbon atoms with hydrogen atoms sticking off the sides.
When plants die, they generally rot, and their stored carbohydrates break down, some of it returning CO2 to the atmosphere, and some being incorporated into soils as humus. Over the last three billion years or so, a vast amount of these carbohydrates have been buried underground by various geological means and have become what we call fossil fuels.
Natural gas is one of these fossil fuels. It consists mainly of methane, the simplest hydrocarbon: a single carbon atom with 4 hydrogen atoms stuck on. Other hydrocarbons have more carbon atoms in their chain: 3 in the propane for your barbecue, 4 in the butane for your lighter, 8 in the octane for your car, and so on up to thousands in coal. All these hydrocarbons can be burned to give energy. But the point is that, the longer the carbon chain in any given fuel, the more CO2 is released per unit of energy derived. Coal = terrible, natural gas = better!
The Good
The development of hydraulic fracturing technology — fracking — has unlocked huge reserves of natural gas. The laws of supply and demand then made it one of the cheapest fuels available, and soon much of our electricity was being generated by natural gas. This has had the salutary effect of substantially reducing our CO2 footprint in the US!
Another big advantage to natural gas is that it works great in gas turbine powered electrical generators. Unlike nuclear and fossil fuel powered steam turbines, gas turbines can be quickly turned on and off, a big boon to grid operators who are constantly adjusting electric supple to meet varying demand.
The Bad
Unfortunately, methane that gets into the atmosphere is a very powerful greenhouse gas, roughly 25 times as potent as CO2.
The Ugly
Natural gas has been used as a fuel for decades in cities around the world. Most of the gas delivery infrastructure consists of underground piping, much of it old and leaking. Such leaks are diffuse and difficult to locate. Eventually, the leaking gas percolates to the surface and into the atmosphere. In addition, many old petroleum wells are leaking methane.
Because natural gas has been a big help in reducing the carbon emissions in the US, it has become a darling of apologists for the petroleum industry. They argue for continued and expanded use. But burning natural gas is still a huge source of atmospheric CO2 — nearly 2 billion metric tons each year from the US alone!
So…..
Yes, natural gas has been and will continue to be a valuable transition fuel. But its use must be stopped as soon as possible. Money must be spent to find leaking gas and stop it. Rather than spend money to expand natural gas infrastructure, it should be used to increase renewable energy infrastructure.
Things you can Do:
Need a new appliance? Avoid gas! Heat pump water heaters and induction cooktops save you money, reduce carbon emissions and make your home healthier. For more info see: Heating News Journal
Read about how some gas utilities give cash and free vacations to contractors who install gas appliance in new housing, then bill their customers for the expense: CenterPoint Incentives
Check out the powerful women at Mothers Out Front, a group working hard to address urban gas leaks (among many other climate related issues) Mothers Out Front
Contact the Public Utilities Commission in your state. Let them know that you oppose expanding the natural gas grid and expect them to find and repair gas leaks.
Thanks for reading,
Doug Hylan, Brooklin, Maine
“Talk of ‘saving the planet’ is overstated… Earth will be fine, no matter what; so will life. It is humans who are in trouble.” – Stewart Brand