Natural Gas Is A Clean Burning Transition Fuel - 1141 Words

Natural gas is a fossil fuel that plays a critical role in the demand and supply of energy in the United Sates. 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 – â€Å"hydrofracking† or â€Å"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). Hydraulic Fracturing is a process where high-pressure fracking fluids are forced into rich shale to extract natural resources. These fracking fluids are a mixture of proppants and â€Å"chemical additives such as surfactants, biocides, fi ction reducers and other compounds meant to help in the process of freeing the trapped gas†. In addition, the million gallons of water injected along with the fracking fluids return as flowback water and this produced water have the â€Å"potential to mix with nearby aquifers and surface water†. As a result, there is a considerable amount of public concern about water contamination due to this process of hydrofracking (Thurman, Ferrer, Biotevogel Borch, 2014). Because of increasing demands of energy, natural gas offers many countriesShow MoreRelatedBenefits Of Dense Energy Storage1148 Words   |  5 Pagesgreatest advantage associated with methane clathrates is that, per amount of fuel, they have a much higher energy potential due to the dense storage of methane in the lattice structure.The concentration of methane within clathrates is 6500 times higher than in saturated aqueous solution (Ripmeester, J.A., Alavi, S., 2016), meaning less clathrates would have to be mined to receive the same energy provided by other fuels, reducing the negative environmental impacts and possibly the cost of processesRead MoreThe Effects Of Air Pollution On The Climate And Civilization Essay1571 Words   |  7 Pagesfactories.† Burning fossil fuels emitted into the air from these sources is what raises the level of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and many other toxic chemical compounds in the air, which causes a rise in temperatures and a rise in ch ronic health issues in people. The United States Environmental Protection Agency states that in 2014, thirty percent of greenhouse-gas emissions came from electricity usage in which sixty-seven percent of the electricity sourced from burning coal and natural gas. ThisRead MoreFossil Fuels : The World s Primary Energy Resources1736 Words   |  7 PagesAbstract Fossil Fuels such us oil, coal, and natural gas are currently the world’s primary energy resources because they originate from living things. Formed millions of years ago from the decomposition of organic materials such as plants and animal life, it is non-renewable resources that supplied U.S. and global economic development over the past century. In fact, Fossil fuel industries mine or drill for this energy resources, burn them to provide electricity. Natural gas and oil are used whenRead MoreFossil Fuels And Its Effects On The Environment1175 Words   |  5 PagesFossil fuels, including coal, oil and natural gas, are currently the world s primary energy source. 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Moreover, â€Å"some scientists have calculated that an optimal human population on earth in terms of reasonable living standards is no more than 2 billion people.† (Southwick, 161) Already, weRead MoreFossil Fuels : The World s Primary Energy Source1185 Words   |  5 Pages Fossil fuels, including coal, oil and natural gas, are currently the world s primary energy source. Formed from organic material over the course of millions of years, fossil fuels have fueled U.S. and global economic development over the past century. Yet fossil fuels are finite resources and they can also irreparably harm the environment. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the burning of fossil fuels was responsible for 79 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in 2010. TheseRead MoreOcean Acidification : Climate Change s Equally Evil Twin1198 Words   |  5 Pageschange’s equally evil twin.† It s a significant and harmful consequence of excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere that we don t see or feel because its effects are happening underwater. At least one-quarter of the carbon dioxide released by burning coal, oil and gas doesn t stay in the air, but instead dissolves into the ocean. Since the beginning of the industrial era, the ocean has absorbed some 525 billion tons of CO2 from the atmosphere, presently around 22 million tons per day. Ocean acidificationRead MoreSynthesis Gas : The Interim Exquisite1139 Words   |  5 Pages1.1 Synthesis gas – the interim exquisite Synthesis gas is a versatile intermediate feedstock for fuel and value added chemical synthesis. It is a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide in various ratios. The composition of synthesis gas can be widely varied, depending on the synthesis processes and the composition of the raw materials, i.e. their hydrogen-to-carbon ratios and their reactivity’s. Synthesis gas can be produced not only from natural gas, petroleum, petroleum derivatives, or coalsRead MoreFossil Fuel : Fossil Fuels Essay1626 Words   |  7 PagesFossil fuels play a huge part in our nations backup power.   While clean energy is becoming popular for main energy, fossil fuels are relied on for backup energy for industry and commercial buildings.   Different types of fossil fuels have been used throughout history.   Coal and its byproduct has been used to fuel and improve industry.   While green energy is becoming the newest and cleanest form of energy, the transition between the two will have be d ependent on fossil fuels. Fossil fuels play an importantRead MoreThe Problem For Electric Alternatives1323 Words   |  6 Pagesbut consumers are weary to transition due to the perceived lack of infrastructure. Another alternative to fossil fuel comes in the form of natural gas. The scientific journal labeled A Natural State, extrapolates on natural gas’ utilization in mass transit vehicles, but also describes the natural gas alternative for consumers. Natural gas powered vehicles make up a large portion of mass transit fleet vehicles, but the market segment as of now for consumer natural gas vehicles is small. The question