Research by climate scientists over the past few decades has consistently shown that the way we manage our natural resources needs to change if we are going to protect the environment and the future of our planet. A recent report by the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES), titled Leveraging Natural Gas to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions, claims that natural gas could be the answer to addressing global climate change and growing the economy. The new-found abundance of natural gas can allow it to serve as the foundation for our energy use in the future, coupled with the still expanding industries of renewable energy and increased energy efficiency.
Natural gas utilities are working to utilize natural gas more efficiently in space and water heating, which will provide a short-term reduction of greenhouse gas emission and lower utility bills for consumers. The efficiency of natural gas to the utilities is documented, with the utilities being able to move 92% of the natural gas from the wellhead into the homes of consumers. That efficiency, coupled with high efficiency appliances designed to get the most energy from the natural gas provided to them are a sure way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. An AGA report noted that houses that use natural gas for cooking, clothes drying, and both space and water heating emitted 37% less greenhouse gases and spent about 30% less on their utilities.
An increase in natural gas usage leads to an increased necessity in monitoring methane emissions from natural gas systems, in order to further reduce greenhouse gases. This is something that utilities have been working on for a while, having reduced methane emissions by 16% since 1990. The utilities claim that they are committed to lowering these emissions even further in the future. Advanced technologies utilities are implementing, such as the smart grid and CHP systems, were also recognized in the C2ES report as having the potential to lower emissions.
Read the full article here: Natural Gas is a Big Part of Our Climate Change Solution
