Energy gases - the methane age and beyond
- International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg (Austria)
The combustion of fossil fuels results in the emissions of gases and pollutants that produce adverse ecological effects. Evidence is also accumulating that suggests they may also cause global climate change. The combustion gases that are connected with global climate change are primarily carbon dioxide (CO[sub 2]) and to a lesser degree methane (CH[sub 4]). All of these gases already occur in low concentrations in the atmosphere and, in fact, together with other greenhouse gases, such as water vapor, have made the earth habitable. The risk, however, is that the additional emissions of greenhouse gases associated with energy use and other human activities are rapidly increasing the atmospheric concentrations of these gases and may therefore lead to additional global warming during the next century. Although the greenhouse gases that result from energy use are the most important cause of these concerns, the energy gases also offer a potential solution to this problem. Natural gas consists mostly of methane and is a very potent greenhouse gas is released into the atmosphere; however, after combustion occurs, the amount of resulting carbon dioxide is much smaller per unit primary energy in comparison to other fossil energy sources. Natural gas emits roughly one-half of the carbon dioxide in comparison to coal for an equal amount of energy. Thus, a possible shift to a methane economy during the next decades offers a genuine mitigation strategy. Beyond that, natural gas could pave the way for more environmentally compatible energy systems in distant future that could use hydrogen and electricity, both of which are carbon-free energy carriers, that could be produced by nonfossil sources of primary energy. This transition to the [open quotes]methane age[close quotes] and beyond to carbon-free energy systems would enhance the reduction of other adverse impacts on the environment by human activities. 25 refs., 10 figs., 1 tab.
- OSTI ID:
- 6779181
- Journal Information:
- United States Geological Survey, Professional Paper; (United States), Vol. 1570
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
CARBON DIOXIDE
EMISSION
METHANE
USES
COMBUSTION
DECARBONIZATION
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
GLOBAL ASPECTS
GREENHOUSE GASES
ALKANES
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
HYDROCARBONS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDATION
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
030800* - Natural Gas- Environmental Aspects