Another nail in the Fracking coffin. Again, the benefits of being uncoupled frm the rUK are becoming more apparent by the day. From todays Nature (behind a paywall): STEVEN J. DAVIS & CHRISTINE SHEARER Burning fossil fuels such as coal, gas and oil produces more than 80% of the world’s energy and more than 90% of global carbon dioxide emissions. Slowing and ultimately stopping climate change depends on decarbonization — the transformation of the global energy system into one that does not dump CO2 into the atmosphere. Because gas-fired power plants emit roughly half as much CO2 per unit of energy produced as coal-fired plants, the greatly expanded gas supplies promised by new hydraulic fracturing (fracking) methods have been celebrated as a means of cutting emissions. Progressive substitution of gas for coal and oil can thus decarbonize the energy sector and serve as a ‘bridge’ to a more distant future when carbon-free, renewable-energy technologies are more affordable and reliable than they are now. In this issue, McJeon et al. (page 482) uncover a serious crack in the gas bridge: in the absence of new climate policies, increased supplies of natural gas may have little effect on CO2 emissions and could actually delay decarbonization of the global energy system. McJeon and colleagues’ findings reveal two effects. First, abundant gas makes energy cheaper, thereby encouraging higher energy consumption and discouraging investment in energy efficiency. Second, natural gas competes for market share not only with coal, but also with very-low-carbon energy sources such as renewables and nuclear. nature/nature/journal/v514/n7523/full/nature13927.html
Posted on: Thu, 23 Oct 2014 09:14:29 +0000
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