Following Massive New Finds, Gas Could Help Our Transition to Renewables

by Mike Smith · 2009-10-13 09:42:00 UTC
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Finding even more natural gas to burn through can't be a good thing, can it? Recent huge finds of natural gas and developments in technology presented at The World Gas Conference mean that we've got more energy to burn until we are forced to change our habits due to a lack energy. It's good news for short-sighted consumers, but terrible news for those who hoped that the gradual rising price of energy would force all consumers to switch to renewable energy as it becomes cheaper than carbon spewing fossil fuels.

The Telegraph further explains that this may change geopolitics for the next fifty years, with the US having been able to completely cut its imports from Qatar and Trinidad, and allowing the world to be less dependent on Russia. But climate change is equally likely to change geopolitics in the long-term with more climate refugees, more conflicts over resources, and some countries suffering from even fiercer natural disasters.

Natural gas however may help the transition between fossil fuels and renewables. The Economist reports that natural gas emits "about half as much carbon dioxide as coal per unit of energy produced." Cap and trade would make gas cheaper to burn, and some suggest that gas is the energy that could help fill the gaps when wind isn't blowing and the sun isn't shining, or at least until we optimize and innovate further in the development of green technology.

Photo credit: Kafka4Prez

Mike Smith
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