Natural Gas Must Be A Hydrocarbon Fuel

Oil and natural gas companies have developed a way to drill for natural gas, a process called hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking. Natural gas is a flammable gas mixture consisting of methane and several other hydrocarbons that occur naturally underground. Natural gas is used as fuel for heating, cooking, and even in some automobiles like the “RideOn” buses. This technique has only recently become economically feasible with the rising prices of fossil fuels, and there is much potential for recovering natural gas through fracking. However, fracking has many waste products and unusual side effects caused by the unnatural forces and materials used. Fracking has a detrimental effect on the surrounding environment through

Natural gas is a fossil fuel that plays a critical role in the demand and supply of energy in the United States. It is considered to be a clean burning transition fuel. Compared to coal and oil, natural gas combustion does not generate as much pollution and is therefore considered an ideal partner for renewable energy resources. Natural gas is extracted from shale formations underground that require horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing – “hydrofracking” or “fracking”. This drilling and extraction method is currently considered a global widespread issue due to the rapid increase in the amount of new gas wells that threatens the quality of water around the source (Entriken, Evans-White, Johnson & Hagenbuch, 2011).

“In addition to carbon pollution, fracking exploits massive amounts of methane pollution, which drive global climate change. Methane warms the climate approximately 80 times more than the equivalent of carbon dioxide over a 20-year period.” This is a big problem which needs to

To environmental advocates and opponents of fracking, the process is more than dollars and cents. On a rudimentary level, the oil and natural gas produced via hydraulic fracturing are fossil fuels, and thus harmful to the environment in comparison to renewable, clean sources of energy such as solar and wind power. These renewable energy fields are likewise capable of bolstering American energy production and independence and creating high paying careers. Moreover, research suggests that fracking practices could cause serious methane leaks, canceling out the supposed reduction in greenhouse gas

Supporters of hydraulic fracturing correctly point out that energy derived natural gas is less damaging to the environment than coal. However, this does not take natural gas leaks into account. Leaks in the piping that transports the extracted natural gas from the well to a storage container emit methane into the atmosphere. Methane has a greenhouse effect 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide. (Environmental Protection Agency) In 2009, the Environmental Protection Agency estimated that these leaks totaled 570 billion cubic feet (Alvarez, Pacala and Winebrake 6435), making natural gas operations the largest source of methane emissions in the United States (Environmental Protection Agency). When this amount of leakage and the damaging nature of methane is taken into account, natural gas is actually worse for the environment overall than coal (Alvarez, Pacala and Winebrake

Natural gas has supplied energy to humanity since the 19th century, it offers great jobs, and is more affordable than other energy sources. Without fossil fuels/natural gas it would harder and more expensive to have everyday energy. With fracking being a big part in today’s world, people still wonder if the chemicals used are really dangerous and if there is another way to make them more earth

Even more disturbing to some, possible groundwater contamination is the claim that the methane released during the extraction process cancels out any of the assumed environmental benefits. Although the overall amounts are relatively low, methane has one-hundred and five times more warming impact pound for pound than carbon dioxide, and so a little really does go a long way when it comes to climate change. Not surprisingly, there is wide disagreement on how much methane is being leaked into the atmosphere as part of the fracking process.

Black, Richard. "Shale Gas 'worse than Coal' for Climate." BBC News. BBC, 04 Dec. 2011. Web. 06 May 2013.

As you know, fracking allows companies such as ExxonMobil to obtain natural gases from the geosphere. Natural gas, of course, produces less

Additionally, fracking has a large impact on global warming. Methane, one of the greenhouse gases quickly filling our atmosphere, is released into the air in every step of the fracking process. It traps 86 percent more heat than carbon dioxide, increasing global warming. Radon is the second leading contributor to lung cancer, and 39 percent higher in fracking areas. 21.000 deaths from radon-induced lung cancer has been reported in the U.S. To top it off, 300,000 gallons of natural gas are produced in only one day of

Although oil companies uphold the idea that fracking is a cheaper and efficient, fracking damages the local water, air and soil in the surrounding cities. According to the Science of Total Environment, scientists speculate that wells require up to 5 million gallons of fluid per extraction event, which would require tons of chemicals including benzene, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen oxides to unconventionally bring out the shale gas (Werner et al. 2014). The lengthy list of air pollutants, most of which are combustible, suggests that both human health and the environment are at risk and the surrounding water aquifers located near the horizontal wells could also be damaged. The amount of water needed for extraction also demonstrates the strain the process of fracking has on the environment and local water supply. Similarly, the potency of methane is 20 times worse than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas, which is further aggravated by the process of flaring (Weinhold 2012). Thus, flaring and fracking serves not only as a nuisance to the community through the health hazards and water pollution, but can worsen the status of global climate

In every other category, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide and overall particles it's cleaner. Another plus is oil and coal both release mercury but natural gas does not. Smog and overall air quality is an increasing issue especially in large cities such as columbus. Smog is apart of the ground level of the ozone. It's a chemical reaction of carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, other harmful organic compounds, and heat from sunlight. However unlike coal Natural gas has a low carbon monoxide and unlike oil it has a low nitrogen oxide level, As a result of this it contributes little to smog and can be even used to combat smog in metropolitan areas. Acid is another pressing environmental issue. Acid rain is formed when sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides react with water vapor and other chemicals in the presence of sunlight to form various acidic compounds in the air. Natural gas emits virtually no sulfur dioxide so it has almost no threat of acid rain. However, fracking wells release methane gas. This is a problem because if the methane gas isn’t burned of is is 25 times stronger greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. Another pro and a con is cost. The process of hydraulic fracking is not cost efficient. This is part of the reason why natural gas is more expensive. However, the fracking industry creates jobs for ohio and the usa as a whole. So far 340,000

With the supply of fossil fuels steadily declining, gas and oil is becoming harder to harvest which means it is getting more expensive. Fossil fuels take millions of years to be naturally produced, yet each person burns gallons of gas per day (Maehlum par. 5). Though fossil fuels are produced naturally, when burned they release nitrogen oxides gases into the atmosphere, which contributes to the formation of smog and acid rain. According to the EPA, major sources of these nitrogen oxide emissions come from cars and trucks, coal-fire powered plants, large industrial operations, and ships and airplanes (EPA par 3). By reducing the number of gas powered cars on the road, we can reduce the amount of harmful chemicals we are releasing into our atmosphere.

Hydraulic fracturing has numerous negative effects on Oklahoma. A nearly unavoidable byproduct of fracking that cannot be ignored is the pollution that stems from it. During the fracking process, a portion of the methane produced, which is shown to trap heat twenty-five times more effectively than carbon dioxide, another common greenhouse gas, escapes into the atmosphere as it is brought to the surface (Hoffman). Studies conducted in Weld County, Colorado, which has a comparable number of fracking wells to many places in Oklahoma; show that this loose methane is the equivalent of the carbon emissions of nearly three million cars (Hoffman). Furthermore, fracking has been shown to release large amounts of nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide into the air, which are two of the main components of smog (Hoffman). Even in places such as

The importance of natural gas is to replace the role of oil in the economy. Natural gas is good for the US because it can produce natural gas domestically. It has plenty of energy for use in people’s homes and in industry. It will help the US economy cope with the depletion of peak oil production. Crude oil is nearly three times as expensive as Natural gas. (Pipeline, 2009-2013)