Over the past few decades, natural gas has attracted the attention of scientists, producers, and politicians as the new crucial energy source that could potentially replace coal and oil. The historical development of the natural gas industry was driven by two key factors. First of all, the environmental concerns created by the use of coal and oil, as well as by their extraction, facilitated the search for other sources of energy. Secondly, the limited amount of oil and its extraction sites resulted in increased oil prices. Although natural gas is still a fossil fuel that can also contribute to the greenhouse effect, hence impacting the climate change, it is a cleaner and less expensive fuel, which makes it an attractive source of energy.
Today, the natural gas industry of the United States is growing fast. The natural gas systems present in the U.S. include production, gathering and processing, transmission, and distribution mechanisms (EPA “Overview of the Oil and Natural Gas Industry”). Between 2005 and 2015, the natural gas industry in the U.S. has grown by 50 percent, and it is expected to develop in the future (Rapier). The growth of the natural gas industry will affect not only the U.S. but also other regions. As noted by BP, “Natural gas is expected to grow faster than oil or coal, helped by the rapid growth of liquefied natural gas increasing the accessibility of gas across the globe” (4).On the whole, the outlook for the natural gas industry is very promising.
Natural gas presents an alternative energy source that could help the U.S. in reducing greenhouse emissions, thus having a positive effect on the environment. Moreover, the economic benefits of natural gas are also significant. This essay aims to argue that the government should support the development of natural gas industry in the U.S. due to its prospective effects on the environment and economy.
Environmental Benefits
The main factor that supports the environmentalist view on the development of natural gas industry is that it would assist in reducing CO2 emissions. According to the EPA (“Overview of Greenhouse Gases”), carbon dioxide is one of the key gases contributing to the greenhouse effect. In fact, CO2 accounted for 82 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in 2015 (EPA “Overview of Greenhouse Gases”). Consequently, the combustion of fossil fuels, especially coal and oil, to generate electricity is the main source of CO2 emissions (EPA “Overview of Greenhouse Gases”). Reducing CO2 emissions both nationally and globally would help in halting the climate change and reducing the environmental impact of human activities until clean energy sources are fully integrated into power systems.
Switching from coal and oil to natural gas could potentially reduce CO2 emissions. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), “Natural gas emits 50 to 60 percent less carbon dioxide (CO2) when combusted in a new, efficient natural gas power plant compared with emissions from a typical new coal plant”. Moreover, natural gas can also be used to power vehicles, which will result in 15-20 percent reduction of greenhouse gases emissions resulting from transportation (UCS). Transportation is the second most important source of CO2 emissions after electricity, which means that a reduction of vehicle emissions could have a significant effect on the climate change (DOE).
Another significant environmental benefit of natural gas is that it could lower the air pollution. Coal combustion is a significant source of air pollution in many areas. For instance, in Beijing, China, household coal combustion results in severe smog that covers the city throughout the heating season. Indeed, every 10000 homes powered by coal produce 1,900 tons of nitrogen oxide, 3,900 tons of sulfur dioxide, and 5,200 tons of particulates (UCS). Apart from having a negative effect on the environment, air pollution has severe consequences for human health. Using natural gas instead of coal for heating and electricity can improve the situation. As noted by the UCS, combustion of natural gas produces very small amounts of particulates, as well as sulfur and mercury. Also, the levels of nitrogen oxides (NOx) resulting from natural gas combustion are much lower than those resulting from coal burning (UCS).
Overall, expanding the natural gas industry would make natural gas readily available to both individual and corporate users. Substituting traditional fuels, such as oil and gas, with natural gas, would help to minimize human footprint on the environment and reduce the pace of climate change. Moreover, it would also help to improve population health both in the U.S. and all over the globe by reducing air pollution with sulfur, mercury, nitrogen oxides, and particulates. Thus, by assisting the natural gas industry in growth and development, the U.S. government could avoid a significant share of environmental damage while also improving the health of people in various areas of the country.
Economic Benefits
When compared to oil and coal, natural gas presents numerous economic benefits. First of all, the recent discovery of shale formations throughout the United States indicated that the supply of natural gas is potentially much larger than that of other fossil fuels. As noted by NGV America, “Domestic reserves of natural gas are estimated to be twice that of petroleum-based upon current consumption—more than 100 years” (2). Similarly, on the global scale, natural gas reserves are abundant.
The second economic benefit of the natural gas for the U.S. is that it is not imported. As opposed to oil, which is mostly imported from abroad, almost all natural gas used and distributed throughout America is produced locally (NGV America 3). Given the abundance of natural gas reserves in the U.S., this also presents an opportunity to increase the export natural gas to other countries, which would create economic benefits.
Despite the features explained above, natural gas is also cheaper than oil, both in extraction and in trade. NGV America explains that natural gas is about 30 percent cheaper than diesel fuel and gasoline (3). Apart from benefitting transport companies and citizens, this also reduces the cost of distributing natural gas internally and across borders.
On the whole, natural gas presents several important economic benefits to the U.S., which would make the natural gas industry more efficient than coal and oil industries. Using its abundant domestic reserves of natural gas, the U.S. could maintain its leading position in the natural gas market, improving export to other countries. In addition, both individual users and producers of natural gas would benefit from cost-cutting resulting from the use of natural gas instead of other types of fossil fuel. Thus, supporting the growth of the natural gas industry in the U.S. would allow the government to improve the country’s economy.
Position
Overall, evidence from scientific and official resources indicates that the expansion of the natural gas industry would be beneficial to the U.S. economy and environment. As an environmentalist, I agree with the arguments put forward in the sources reviewed. However, although the natural gas presents a cleaner alternative to coal and oil, it is a fossil fuel that may still generate a significant amount of CO2 compared to clean energy sources. Nevertheless, as solar and wind power are not fully integrated into the U.S. infrastructure, it would be impossible to switch to green energy sources in the foreseeable future. While renewable energy sources are developed and implemented, natural gas presents an important opportunity to reduce air pollution, minimize greenhouse gas emissions, and improve the U.S. economy.
Conclusion
The U.S. natural gas industry is already large and growing. However, government support would help the industry to develop faster, thus increasing its capacity for domestic trade and export of natural gas into the global market. This, in turn, would have numerous benefits for the U.S. economy and the environment, making the investment rewarding and valuable.
While economic benefits are substantial, environmental benefits achieved due to the development of natural gas production and use are even more significant. A reduction in emissions would help in halting or reducing the pace of the climate change, thus preventing a notable share of environmental damage. Personally, I believe that it is a responsibility of people to ensure that technologies are used to benefit not just the business, but also the environment. The growth of the natural gas industry in the U.S. would help the country to minimize the negative effect of fossil fuel production and use on the environment and is thus a meaningful opportunity that should be considered by the government.
Works Cited
British Petroleum (BP). BP Energy Outlook: 2017 Edition, 2017, Web.
Rapier, Robert. “The Long Term Outlook For Natural Gas.”Forbes. 2016, Web.
Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS). “Environmental Impacts of Natural Gas.”USC USA, n.d., Web.
United States Department of Energy (DOE). “Natural Gas Benefits and Considerations.”Alternative Fuels Data Center, 2017, Web.
United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). “Overview of the Oil and Natural Gas Industry.”EPA.gov, n.d., Web.
United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). “Overview of Greenhouse Gases.”EPA.gov, n.d., Web.