Latest Cornell study: Natural gas is better than coal

Those wild and crazy profs at Cornell University are at it again. This time Lawrence Cathles, a professor of earth and atmospheric sciences, says natural gas is better for the climate than coal, even with methane leakage. That counters last year's report by colleagues Robert Howarth and Anthony Ingraffea that maintains that after including methane leaks into the atmosphere, natural gas is a worse global warming gas than CO₂. "The only thing that really counts is the amount of carbon dioxide you put in the atmosphere," Cathles told Bloomberg News today. On that count, natural gas releases much less CO₂ than coal, leading Cathles to conclude that "the story is quite clear than we would be very well advised to substitute natural gas" for coal in such uses as power generation.

Methane is a more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, but leaves the atmosphere faster. Cathles said that even if 10 percent of all the natural gas produced leaks unburned into the atmosphere -- which he calls "an impossible number" -- natural gas is still the winner. For the record, Howarth and Ingraffea estimate that as much as 7.9 percent of natural gas production escapes unburned, while Cathles said he  believes the figure is likely less than 2 percent.

-- Jim Fuquay

Comments

[Ben]

Will the esteemed Mr. Ruggiero ever take responsibility for his contribution to pollution caused by his desire to "live in the country?

[garage equipment]

According to the Natural Gas Supply Association, natural gas is the cleanest burning fossil fuel. Combustion of natural gas primarily produces carbon dioxide and water vapor. Other emissions include small amounts of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide and reactive hydrocarbons.

[Phil H]

I thought that actually one of the major sources of greenhouse gases is the livestock and their manure (methane I suppose) not to mention their breathing (co2). I'd be interested to see the sources by percent and their contribution.

[Tim Ruggiero]

Did the esteemed professor include all the diesel emissions, flaring and semi truck CO2 emissions in his conclusion? Of course he didn't, Industry didnt fund that part of his 'research'.