Fiction: Gas is natural and clean
Fossil gas (often called “natural” gas by industry interests) is a fossil fuel formed from decomposing organic matter. The extraction, processing, shipping and burning of fossil fuels produces large amounts of greenhouse gases.
In reality, “natural” gas is harmful for the climate. Referring to it instead as fossil gas reflects the fact that its use also results in high levels of methane, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, water vapour, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), Perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride, which are all climate changing greenhouse gases. Building new fossil gas plants locks in carbon emissions for years to come that far exceed the carbon budget set by the Paris Climate agreement, the carbon reduction goals of the Evers administration, and the demands of the climate crisis.
Fossil gas is mostly found in the spaces and cracks between layers of rocks on land or in the ocean, and is obtained through various methods including vertical or horizontal drilling, and hydraulic fracturing (aka fracking). Wisconsin does not have any fossil gas to extract, but its use here still creates hazardous impacts with many public health, justice and environmental concerns.
Fracking has been linked to low-magnitude seismic activity, or small earthquakes. Excess fracking water is sometimes disposed of by injecting it at high pressure back into the ground, which has been linked to larger magnitude earthquakes. Gas extraction also fragments wildlife habitat which harms plants and animals. It also increases erosion and risk of water and air contamination from hazardous chemicals used in fracking, including radioactive materials, methane, and other gases that can lead to cancer, respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, and other health issues, and has been especially problematic in Indigenous communities.
The use of fossil gas adds to climate change while also harming land, wildlife, air, water, and our own health.
Fiction: Gas is a viable option as a ‘bridge’ fuel
Many fossil fuel companies foster the idea that fossil gas is needed as a ‘bridge’ fuel, or a transitional energy source to use temporarily instead of coal or petroleum while renewable energy ramps up. They claim it has less negative environmental impacts, but building new gas plants would lock in carbon emissions for many more years to come.
Carbon is not the only concern; another is methane. Gas is 80% to 90% methane, and even though it breaks down in about a decade as compared to carbon dioxide which can take over a century, is about 80 times more effective at trapping heat than carbon dioxide, making its use a significantly contributing factor to climate change. Eliminating large sources of methane by switching to renewable energy sources would be a significant step in the right direction.
Can we even afford to use a ‘bridge’ fuel? No, we can’t. Scientists have known for years that the only ways to fight climate change are by reducing energy use and switching to renewable energy sources. 90% of the energy sector carbon reductions needed to avoid climate disaster can be achieved through reduced energy use and moving to clean renewable energy.
We don’t need to spread the myth that gas is a bridge fuel and lock ourselves into years of carbon and methane emissions when we have better alternatives now.
Fiction: Gas is needed because solar and wind can’t produce consistent energy
A common misconception in the renewable vs fossil fuel debate is that coal and fossil gas are needed since renewables cannot produce energy reliably. While the wind doesn’t always blow and the sun isn’t always shining, wind and solar in conjunction with other options can still provide dependable power. Solar also has the benefit that typically when electricity demand is high, so too is production.
With proper planning, energy management and diverse sources, we can deal with times when the sun isn’t out and there is a lack of wind. Long distance transmission capabilities, smart grids, microgrids and storage can help distribute clean power to when and where it is needed and provide clean, dependable power.
Currently, most communities and states are far from 100% renewable energy, and it will still be at least a decade until coal first, then gas, is phased out. By the time we get close to 100% renewable energy, technologies and capabilities to deal with our new energy realities will have improved considerably.
We have clean energy solutions now that can meet our needs. We only need the will.
Fiction: Gas is needed for heating
Gas furnace technology is over 100 years old. It has served us well to heat homes and other buildings, but the downsides of extraction and burning were not widely known then, nor were there as many accessible other good options. That’s not true today.
We’ve become much more sophisticated in understanding our energy needs and also alternative technologies. Building energy codes set standards for energy use and are becoming increasingly stringent. We know how to build passive houses that even in the middle of winter in Wisconsin, barely require any heat at all. Large well-built buildings with a high volume to surface area ratio also may require little to no heat in winter, and gas may not be the best choice for heating anyways.
With existing structures, cost effective energy efficiency upgrades can significantly reduce heating demands. While that won’t eliminate heating needs, it can reduce gas use for existing furnaces, but new gas furnaces will continue to be installed for some years to come until building electrification, using renewably sourced electricity instead of fossil fuels, becomes widely utilized.
Modern technology now offers good alternatives to heating with gas. Geothermal, which uses the constant temperature many feet underground, is already used as a means of lowering heating (and cooling) needs. But now, ground source heat pumps, which add basically the same technology used for air conditioning, allow us to affordably heat homes in winter with electricity. Even non ground source heat pumps can now heat Wisconsin homes in temperatures as low as -13 F, and as efficiency improves they will be able to go even lower. Limited resistance heating can provide backup in extreme temperatures.
The bottom line is, that especially in new construction, the need for gas heating is a thing of the past.
Fact: Gas is expensive
With the decreasing costs of wind and solar, and increased costs of building fossil gas plants along with needed infrastructure, gas plants are increasingly uneconomic to build, let alone run. With implementation of energy reduction measures along with renewable energy systems and storage as needed, gas plants are not only too costly now, but run the risk of being stranded assets in less than a decade, saddling utilities, customers, and shareholders with an unwanted cost burden.
Gas has also been used for heating for many years due to its convenience and costs compared to other fuels. It has also seen more favor for creating electricity since the advent of fracking that lowered gas costs. However, gas prices can be volatile, and while prices have been fairly low for the last decade, they are currently rising with projections for high fuel prices this winter.
With growing public opposition, restrictions and lawsuits, investors are also increasingly concerned with investing in fossil fuels due to the risks and awareness they are major contributors to global warming. Should a carbon price be enacted or other costs included, the price of gas could be driven much higher.
Gas also costs in other ways. The need to build major gas lines creates environmental damage and pollution that is not accounted for in construction costs. Gas also requires extensive additional infrastructure which adds to costs. Additionally, utility bills include fixed fees for gas. Full building electrification that replaces all gas avoids those problems and costs, including the utility fee.
Gas is not only flammable, it can be explosive. Explosions can occur in homes, businesses or even pipelines, and are frequently a hazard when construction occurs. While infrequent, fatalities and extensive damage are common when there are incidents.
The risks don’t end there. Using gas, especially from a stove, can add to indoor air pollution, and especially if not properly vented, can result in very bad indoor air quality, an underreported, but serious health issue. It creates small particles (PM2.5), nitrous oxides and dioxides, carbon monoxide and formaldehyde9, all with serious health implications.
When the full costs and risks are taken into account, gas is unsafe and simply too expensive.
Fact: Fossil Gas has negative environmental justice impacts
Gas is harmful to the environment and to our health, especially impacting communities of color and low income communities. The risks and costs of fossil gas are disproportionately placed upon these communities because of systemic racism in the building and zoning of extraction and generation facilities, inadequate housing with poor efficiency and high energy bills, safety issues compounded by air pollution, lack of access to appropriate healthcare, and other issues.
All the stages related to fossil fuels - extraction, processing, transport, and combustion - produce toxic chemicals that put nearby communities at risk. Housing and job discrimination stemming from systemic racism and inequality has directly resulted in communities of color and low income communities being in close proximity to these activities - a dangerous and lethal combination.
The extraction of fossil gas, especially through fracking, causes air, water, and even noise pollution. Transporting gas is also dangerous, as there is no safe way to do so. There are risks of leaks or spills and associated health consequences, including death. Transport is sometimes done through pipelines which often run through communities of color without regard for the risks they pose. Notable pipelines slated to run through BIPOC communities include the proposed Atlantic Coast and Mountain Valley pipelines, and existing liquid gas pipelines such as the Dakota Access pipeline and tar sands Line 3.
Gas power plants are more likely than coal to be placed in densely populated areas, which means more people are burdened with the negative health effects. Many of these plants are within three miles of vulnerable communities, a distance that the Environmental Protection Agency considers dangerous. Spills are happening on tribal lands with no monitoring occurring, leading to concerns about drinking water contamination.
Living close to gas extraction sites, processing plants, transportation lines, combustion plants can lead to respiratory diseases, cancer, birth-related issues, mental health issues, sleep problems, and cardiovascular illness. Gas decreases life expectancy and increases mortality, with 7,500 excess deaths attributed to oil and gas production annually.
Gas disproportionately harms communities of color and low income communities, causing health issues, including death. Utilities and builders have the ability to switch to renewable energy sources but have not, all at the expense of these communities. To protect these communities and fight climate change, we need to switch to renewable energy now.
Fact: Gas is not the answer
Life is not a gas – or if it is, we’re in trouble. To react quickly enough to stop the worst of climate change, we need to get off all fossil fuels in short order since the life cycle impacts of gas are virtually as bad as coal for the climate. Given that electric power plants are meant to be around for half a century, not only is any new fossil fuel infrastructure problematic, but so is allowing existing plants to continue for their projected life span.
With solar, wind, storage, efficiency measures and newer technologies, clean and affordable means of meeting our power and heating needs day and night, year round are at hand – without the climate impacts and pollution of fossil fuels. Clean energy is not only affordable up front, but even more so when taking into account the environmental, health and climate impacts of gas and other fossil fuels.
In addition, the risks and costs of gas are disproportionately borne by low-income customers and communities of color. With facilities often located in communities of color that also often have high energy burdens, and gas use in buildings, gas accentuates existing racial and economic disparities in our country.
We have clean energy solutions that can deliver consistent, reliable and affordable clean energy that when properly implemented, can also provide energy justice. That’s a livable world for all.
Looking for a visual? Check out this one-page handout.
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https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/monitoring-references/faq/greenhouse-gases.php#intro
https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2019/5/30/18643819/climate-change-natural-gas-middle-ground
https://evers.wi.gov/Documents/EO%20038%20Clean%20Energy.pdf
https://www.ipcc.ch/2021/08/09/ar6-wg1-20210809-pr/
https://www.britannica.com/science/natural-gas/Composition-and-properties-of-natural-gas
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/super-potent-methane-in-atmosphere-oil-gas-drilling-ice-cores
https://www.irena.org/DigitalArticles/2019/Apr/How-To-Transform-Energy-System-And-Reduce-Carbon-Emissions
https://www.sierraclub.org/wisconsin/blog/2021/09/green-energy-and-reliability
https://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2020/5/7/21247602/gas-stove-cooking-indoor-air-pollution-health-risks
https://www.climaterealityproject.org/blog/how-pipelines-fuel-climate-injustice
https://www.epa.gov/airmarkets/power-plants-and-neighboring-communities
https://nicholas.duke.edu/news/contamination-north-dakota-linked-fracking-spills
https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/reports/fossil-fuel-racism/#extraction