Stop South Africa from self destruction Fracking may be more damaging to climate than coal Hydraulic fracking, the process by which natural gas is extracted from the earth, could create as much as twice the amount of greenhouse gas pollution as coal, according to a recent study at Cornell University. Cornell Prof. Robert Howarth argued in a new study that the process which makes natural gas available actually contributes more to global warming than conventional coal. The gas may burn clean, but the process of obtaining ti is dangerous to the environment. "Natural gas is composed largely of methane, and 3.6 percent to 7.9 percent of the methane from shale-gas production escapes to the atmosphere in venting and leaks over the life-time of a well," the study said. "These methane emissions are at least 30 percent more than and perhaps more than twice as great as those from conventional gas. The higher emissions from shale gas occur at the time wells are hydraulically fractured - as methane escapes from flow-back return fluids - and during drill out following the fracturing." The study further added, "The footprint for shale gas is greater than that for conventional gas or oil when viewed on any time horizon, but particularly so over 20 years. Compared to coal, the footprint of shale gas is at least 20% greater and perhaps more than twice as great on the 20-year horizon and is comparable when compared over 100 years."
Posted on: Tue, 30 Jul 2013 06:42:00 +0000
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