20 March 2014

Natural gas is a bridge, not a destination

Abundant gas reserves are here to stay. But can the world afford to burn them all?

There are no longer any doubts that the world has vast untapped reserves of gas. But does it really make sense to use it all? The answer depends on whom you ask. Soaring natural gas production has been a transformative force in the US, helping to fuel an economic revival. Low-cost, cleaner burning gas, combined with wider energy efficiency initiatives, has also helped cut out more carbon-intense coal-fired power, thereby lowering the US' carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. That said, coal from the US is instead exported and burnt elsewhere, negating any net potential global emissions reduction. But as US gas prices climb again, so do emissions. Gas can be used as a bridge to a lower-carbon worl

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