Natural Gas

Natural Gas is the cleanest burning fossil fuel. It produces virtually no solid waste and lower levels of greenhouse gases. When you use Natural Gas less carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere than when other fossil fuels are used. Carbon dioxide is a major cause of the Greenhouse Effect and by using Natural Gas instead of electricity or other fossil fuels you can significantly reduce the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere. A gas fueled power station could be considered “environmentally friendly” compared to those burning coal or other fossil fuels. Gas is also economical and can be used at around half the cost of electricity. Natural gas is a gaseous fossil fuel consisting primarily of methane, which is the simplest hydrocarbon, but including significant quantities of ethane, propane, butane, and pentane – heavier hydrocarbons such as carbon dioxide, nitrogen, helium and hydrogen sulfide are removed prior to use as a consumer fuel. Natural gas has a good safety record mainly because methane is lighter than air and easily disperses in the event of a gas leak. As early as 2000 years ago, the Chinese piped natural gas into their homes through bamboo pipes for lighting purposes. At the end of the 20th century, world reserves of natural gas were estimated at 113 trillion cubic meters (a trillion is a million million). This represented a 35 per cent increase from the 1979 estimate – mostly attributed to discoveries in (formerly) Soviet territories and the Middle East. Today, natural gas is one of the world’s most important fuel sources; in fact over 20 per cent of our energy usage is fueled by natural gas. Large amounts can be stored and safely transported over long distances in pipes, or as liquid in road tankers or large ships.