Natural gas is a fossil fuel used to generate electricity and heat. It is a non-renewable energy source formed when the decomposition of plants and animal matter are exposed to extreme heat and pressure.
1. Release less carbon emission: Compared to other fossil fuels like coal and oil, natural gas is known as the clean source of energy producing less carbon dioxide pollution.
2. An accessible source of energy: There about 6879 trillions of reserves of natural gas in the US. Although the natural gas is not currently used as the main source of energy, there are several undiscovered natural gas reserves. This energy will replace coal and oil in two to three decades.
3. Cheap source of energy: Natural gas is a cheaper source of energy compared to diesel and gasoline. Vehicles that use natural gas are more efficient.
4. Widely used: Natural gas is mostly used in homes for cooking and heating. It can be safely stored and burned.
5. Easy transportation: Natural gas can easily be transported through pipelines, large ships, and tankers.
6. Used in the chemical industry: Natural gas is widely used for the production of plastics, hydrogen, and as a fertilizer for agricultural use.
7. Infrastructure: The technology used to produce natural gas is available worldwide. The same technology used for extraction of other fossil fuels is used in the extraction of natural gas.
8. The primary source of electricity: Natural gas has a heating value of 24000 Btu per pound making it the primary source of electricity when demand is high.
9. No ash: After the release of energy, no ash is produced ash since a clean burning process takes place. The gas emits fewer smog-pollutants of about 60-90%.
10. A reliable source of energy: It can produce 24hours electricity as compared to other sources making it more endurable source of energy.
1. Highly flammable: Natural gas is odorless and colorless in nature making it highly volatile/flammable to use since it cannot be detected. Any gas leaks can cause explosions or fire.
2. Greenhouse effects: Once natural gas is burnt, it releases carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and other components in the atmosphere contributing effects to the greenhouse.
3. Non-sustainable energy: Natural gas is a non-renewable source of energy which will be replaced by more renewable sources of energy in the next century since it will be unsustainable in some few decades.
4. Expensive pipeline infrastructure: Natural gas can be transported on land through pipelines which are very expensive to install. The gas highly flammable and any pipe leak leads to increased running cost.
5. Hydraulic gas extraction can harm the environment: Using hydraulic fracturing method to extract gas deposits underground can cause environmental damage. The highly pressured liquid used in fracturing the rocks can cause water contamination.
6. Not easy to use: Various components have to be extracted for you to use natural gas. These components result in the emission of byproducts like hydrocarbons, sulfur, carbon dioxide, nitrogen and water vapor.
7. Contributes to global warming: Methane component in natural gas traps a lot of heat in the earth’s atmosphere resulting in global warming.
8. Increased deforestation: A large area has to be cleared for installation of pipes underground and drilling the well to extract gas. This leads to increased deforestation.
9. Damages the ecosystem: Although natural gas produces less carbon dioxide compared to other fossil fuels, it also pollutes the environment.
10. Cause death: Carbon monoxide component used to detect leaks on gas pipelines can cause death if not properly handled.
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It’s interesting how you said that natural gas will replace oil and coal within the next decade or two. My wife and I have been considering getting a gas piping installation but we aren’t sure. Knowing this helps us to know that we should start looking for someone wh could maybe install things for us.
That is cool that natural gas is a cheaper source of energy. That is something that I am sure an energy company would want to have. That way they could entice people to come with their cheaper prices.