In a post at RealClearEnergy Jane Marsh reminds us that one of the most attractive alternatives to natural gas, renewable natural gas (RNG) also known as “bio-gas”, does not actually reduce carbon emissions, pointing to some of the same factors I have mentioned here:
Transitioning away from fossil fuel uses toward biogas also requires mass construction projects. The building industry accounts for nearly 38% of all greenhouse gas emissions. Increasing air pollution by adopting RNG decreases its sustainability.
Biogas also promotes waste production. When companies produce renewable energy from disposed organic matter, individuals will continue creating food waste and other ecologically degrading materials. America can support the clean electric grid using emissionless energy sources instead of biogas.
There aren’t many emissionless energy sources suitable for baseline power generation. Illinois has one of the lowest reliances on fossil fuels for power generation of any state, largely because of our historic reliance on nuclear power.
We use coal and natural gas, but we have plans for landscaping and green paint for the smokestacks.
My MS thesis and my PhD dissertation.
Biogas is generally quite dirty, because the fermentation process injects numerous aerols into the product. More over, the “clean†gas is at least 35% carbon dioxide, if made from sewage solids, and 50% carbon dioxide if the feedstock is some sort of carbohydrate.
The usual experience is that if the goal is removal of aerosols and hydrogen sulfide, the product is not competitive with natural gas. Sometime back in the 30’s, sewage treatment stopped using their own biogas for energy and switched to natural gas from pipelines because of cost. PG&E gave up on landfill gas many years ago because of clean up costs.
There is no substitute for natural gas, oil, coal, nuclear, and hydro. Everything else is criminal fraud.
But our lunatic Masters will not accept reality, and they will force us into a medieval economy (any slavery) with a population reduction over 7 billion in a few decades.
Glad I am old.
And on Bob’s note. Some lightheartedness:
On his 74th birthday, a man got a gift certificate from his wife. The certificate paid for a visit to a medicine man living on a nearby reservation who was rumored to have a wonderful cure for erectile dysfunction.
After being persuaded, he drove to the reservation, handed his ticket to the medicine man, and wondered what he was in for. The old man slowly, methodically produced a potion, handed it to him, and with a grip on his shoulder, warned, “This is a powerful medicine, and it must be respected. You take only a teaspoonful, and then say ‘1-2-3.” When you do that, you will become more manly than you have ever been in your life, and you can perform as long as you want.”
The man was encouraged. As he walked away, he turned and asked, “How do I stop the medicine from working?”
“Your partner must say ‘1-2-3-4,'” he responded, “but when she does, the medicine will not work again until the next full moon.”
He was very eager to see if it worked so he went home, showered, shaved, took a spoonful of the medicine, and then invited his wife to join him in the bedroom. When she came in, he took off his clothes and said, “1-2-3!”
Immediately, he was the manliest of men.
His wife was excited and began throwing off her clothes, and then she asked, “What was the 1-2-3 for?”
And that, boys and girls, is why we should never end our sentences with a preposition, because we could end up with a dangling participle.
Damn good 1.