Published in ERW, 2 Mar 2015
Natural gas is often touted by politicians as a “bridge” to help overcome our addiction to fossil fuels. Meanwhile, scientists argue over its impact on the environment. But now researchers in the US claim to have performed a simplified analysis of the pros and cons of natural-gas and coal-fired power stations that will allow people to make up their own minds.
The study shows that, in general, natural gas produces less short-term climate change than coal only if there is little methane leakage associated with its extraction and if the efficiency of generating the electricity is high. It also shows that natural gas cannot deliver the depth of cut in emissions that’s needed to avoid a big contribution to global warming, unless carbon-capture is employed. […]
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