Natural+Gas

=**Tejash, John**= =Uses= Natural gas is used in many residential homes because it is the cheapest type of energy available for use residentially. The most common uses in the home are in natural gas powered stoves, and using it to heat homes. It is also possible to cool a home with natural gas, but this is not as popular. Large appliances, like fireplaces and grills, can use natural gas, and while they are usually more expensive to buy initially the costs to operate and life expectancy are usually better then their electric counterparts. While natural gas is gaining popularity for residential use because of its attractive price. In industry natural gas can be used to make fertilizers. Natural gas is also used to power clean air buses because it is cheap and burns cleaner then oil and coal. Natural gas is also used to generate electricity. (1)



=Production= Natural Gas is a combustible hydrocarbon gas composed mostly of a mixture of different gases but mainly made up of Methane. Natural Gas is created from the ancient remains of plants and animals buried deep withing the Earth. This means like oil and coal it is a fossil fuel. Because it is a fossil fuel natural gas emits the same kinds of molecules like coal and oil that supposedly contribute to the greenhouse effect. Natural gas contributes mainly Carbon Dioxide the same molecule we breath which has a smaller impact on the greenhouse effect theory then Oil and Coal. (1)


 * **Fossil Fuel Emission Levels**
 * - Pounds per Billion Btu of Energy Input** ||
 * **Pollutant** || **Natural Gas** || **Oil** || **Coal** ||
 * Carbon Dioxide || 117,000 || 164,000 || 208,000 ||
 * Carbon Monoxide || 40 || 33 || 208 ||
 * Nitrogen Oxides || 92 || 448 || 457 ||
 * Sulfur Dioxide || 1 || 1,122 || 2,591 ||
 * Particulates || 7 || 84 || 2,744 ||

=Advantages= Natural Gas main advantages are that it is cheap, it is clean, and from the United States perspective there are large reserves of natural gas in the States that could decrease the countries every independence on foreign oil. New technologies have led to huge increases in the number of estimated U.S. natural gas reserves. (2) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cc5tz03-xEc =Disadvantages= One of the problems with natural gas is that while the fuel itself is cheap the machinery that is built to use it is commonly more expensive then an oil counterpart. This problem will decrease as technology develops and the use of natural gas is more common. The other problem is an environmental concern known as tracking. Fracking is the method used to fracture the shale walls from which natural gas is extracted. Environmentalists complain that this causes contamination of underground water supplies. Natural gas companies argue that they protect the ground water from contamination. The current administration will not turn to natural gas as an alternative to oil and coal because these environmental concerns despite the possible positive economic repercussions that would result. =Works Cited= 1: Naturalgas.org 2.http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/18/business/energy-environment/18gas.html 3. dangersoffracking.com