Natural gas is a false climate solution

By
Dr. Luis Contreras
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510

Increased atmospheric carbon dioxide is alarming 

The concentration of carbon dioxide has reached a record high, 408 ppm, according to a report released Monday by the World Meteorological Organization. At the same time, the extraction of oil and gas (O&G) is increasing under the U.S. Energy dominance delusion.

“It is in the national interest to promote clean and safe development of our Nation’s vast energy resources, while at the same time avoiding regulatory burdens that unnecessarily encumber energy production, constrain economic growth, and prevent job creation …” says the May 2017 Trump executive order.

At the time, “to promote clean and safe energy” seemed harmless, but “avoiding regulatory burdens” would eliminate regulations on methane emissions. The oil and gas industry would get a free pass to increase production. Today, “it is in the national interest,” simply means Trump wants to get re-elected.

In my opinion, executive orders are non-binding when they threaten public health. My comment to the Environmental Protection Agency on the methane rollback was a request to ban fracking.

What does EPA want to do?

The language of the EPA proposal EPA-HQ-OAR-2017-0757 is highly technical with references to previous regulations. After reading the documents several times, it seems the proposed amendments are a choice between four numbers: 5, 12, 18, and 0.

EPA wants to increase carbon dioxide emissions by 5 gigatons by 2030. Methane emissions are measured in metric tons. One metric ton equals 1,000 kilograms, or 2,204 lbs. One gigaton equals one billion metric tons, over one hundred million male African elephants. How can EPA ignore over 500 million elephants?

Methane emissions are odorless and invisible to the naked eye. To make pipeline quality methane O&G companies remove other gases and water flowing from fracking wells. Water corrodes pipelines and harmful gases are undesired. An odorant is added to methane for safety prior to delivery as natural gas.

If someone farts and there is no one else in the room but your dog, you can’t see the emissions, but the smell and sound are hard to miss. You can always blame your dog.

False EPA estimates

O&G companies are increasing exploration and extraction. The combined effect of deregulation and greed would increase carbon dioxide emissions by 12 gigatons by 2030.

A 2018 study by the Environmental Defense Fund says EPA underestimates methane emissions by 60 percent and ignores emissions from abandoned wells. O&G companies are responsible to detect and measure methane leaks and don’t share their findings with other companies.

Profits before people

The EPA claims that by rolling back methane regulations, O&G would increase profits by $18 million per year. This is an insignificant number compared with the yearly $20 billion U.S. subsidies for O&G. Exxon’s former CEO Rex Tillerson at his 2017 Senate confirmation hearing nomination denied Exxon runs on taxpayer money. Tillerson said, “I was unaware of Exxon’s climate lobbying and disinformation and Exxon’s silence and inaction.” No one challenged Tillerson, the Senate is in the loop!

A fracking ban means 0 additional carbon emissions. Someone told me last week “but we can’t stop fracking, it would hurt the economy.” There is a glut of oil and gas from traditional sources. Chevron has an oil leak from a damaged fracking well in Durango, flowing since 2013. The economy would benefit from discontinuing $20 billion in O&G subsidies per year and stopping shale crude O&G exports at a loss.

COP 25

The upcoming Conference of the Parties (COP 25), the United Nations Climate Change Conference, will be held in Madrid, Spain, from Dec. 2 to Dec. 13. This will be a critical event, carbon emission reductions per country will be updated to avoid warming beyond 2° C by 2030.

The U.S. will not be attending. Global warming continues the path to mass extinction, all Americans included.

Rise up

Please join a December 6 Climate Strike near you. Clear Spring School and other public schools are invited to join us at 11:15 a.m. in front of the Eureka Springs Courthouse. Handmade signs and open minds welcome.

Dr. Luis Contreras

11 COMMENTS

  2. Great op-ed, Luis.
    If there is a carbon atom in the molecule, there will be CO2 after it is burned. I am always amazed about the number of otherwise “smart” people who can’t understand science. We’re dumbing down our population.
    Charles

  4. What is the price of natural gas?

    At the Permian Basin, the most productive Texas fracking site, natural gas is a nuisance and it sells at very low prices … sometimes, the frackers have to pay to have it hauled away!

    Natural gas is sold in cents per mmBTU. One mmBTU is one million British thermal units. BTU is a measure of the energy content in fuel, used in the power steam generation ,,, 19th Century technology.

    https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-natgas-waha-negative/u-s-natural-gas-prices-turn-negative-in-texas-permian-shale-again-idUSKCN1SS1GC

  9. There is nothing good about hydraulic fracking

    Water is taken for granted until all is polluted. Draughts are major threats for cities and agriculture

    Sea water or sewer water can’t be used for fracking.

    Fracking needs millions of gallons of clean water to avoid unexpected reactions with the chemical soup used to crack oil and gas from shale formations

    Treating the contaminated “waste-water” coming from the well during fracking and production is very expensive.

    Wastewater is radioactive and is a blend of several gases. Water trucks haul it away to disposal sites, and sometimes is sold as “produced water” to de-ice roads.

    Here are some of problems without good solutions.

    https://www.watercalculator.org/water-use/fracking-water/

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