Home/Posts Tagged ‘gas’
Posts Tagged ‘gas’
Climate Change, Science & Technology, Jul 3rd, 2012,
The share of power supplied by renewable energy in the UK has gone up by 30% from last year. The first quarter of 2012 showed that power generated by wind, sea, solar, other hydro electricity and bioenergy provided 11% of Britain’s energy, compared to the first quarter of 2011′s 7.7%. In 2009 it was just 3%. The UK has pledged that by 2020 it will produce 15% of its power from ‘clean’ energy sources. Other big changes in energy production were seen in the areas of gas, coal and nuclear – and it’s not all good news. From the…
Tags: gas, renewable energy, UK, wind
Climate Change, Pollution, Science & Technology, May 30th, 2012,
Hydraulic fracturing, a controversial method of extracting natural gas deposits from under shale, has been heralded by the International Energy Agency as ushering in the Earth’s ‘golden age’ for gas. So perhaps oil is going to peak, but natural gas has yet to properly boom. Gas does produce less CO2 emissions than oil (but more methane) and is cleaner than coal, but it still emits and pollutes more than renewables. Hydraulic fracturing, or ‘fracking’ as it is often called, has a host of other concerns including massive water use, contamination of ground water with chemicals as well as air pollution….
Tags: fracking, gas, golden age, hydraulic fracturing, IEA, shale
Pollution, Dec 13th, 2011,
Natural gas firms that engage in hydraulic fracturing are hiding risks from landowners, according to a report by the Environmental Working Group. Hydraulic fracturing, commonly called ‘fracking’, is the practice of extracting natural gas from shale rock by drilling, planting explosives, and pumping in large amounts of water and chemicals to open up gas deposits. Fracking has been linked to the contamination of water supplies with toxic and cancer causing chemicals and even to earthquakes, making the practice controversial throughout the globe. These landowners who were left in the dark about drilling risks are likely just the tip of the…
Tags: chemicals, contamination, fracking, gas, hydraulic fracturing, water
Health, Pollution, Aug 15th, 2011,
Hydraulic fracturing is the controversial practice of extracting natural gas from shale rock by drilling, planting explosives and then pumping vast amounts of water and chemicals into the rock to open up gas deposits. Commonly referred to as ‘fracking’, domestic hydraulic fracturing is being touted by governments and fossil fuel corporations in several countries as being cheaper, safer and more climate-friendly than oil or coal extraction, as well as less dependent on the instability of international markets and political situations than other fossil fuels. But fracking is not without its environmental or human health concerns. From BBC News: Much of…
Tags: Canada, concerns, fracking, gas, hydraulic fracturing, New Brunswick, water
Conservation, Politics, Jul 12th, 2011,
The International Whaling Commission is currently holding talks on the British island of Jersey. Issues being dealt with at the IWC talks include the effects of oil and gas exploration on gray whales in Russia’s far eastern waters. Western gray whales are an endangered species and number only 130. Seismic guns, used to find underwater oil and gas deposits off the coast of the Russian island of Sakhalin, have been shown to disturb the whales. The gray whales’ only summer feeding ground is located in a small area off of Sakhalin. Read more on that story in this BBC News…
Tags: gas, gray, hunt, Iceland, IWC, japan, oil, whale meat, whales
Politics, Pollution, Videos & Documentaries, Mar 23rd, 2011,
Fossil fuel giant Shell struck up a deal with Ireland’s outgoing Fianna Fail party to construct an onshore refinery and massive gas pipeline in a remote corner of the country. It was one of Fianna Fail’s final acts in power. Locals, many who work in fishing and farming, have campaigned and protested vigorously against the project for some 10 years. They succeeded in getting Shell to reduce pressure levels in the pipe and route it away from the village of Rossport, but are still dissatisfied because of the undemocratic nature of the project and the fact that the plans will…
Tags: gas, Ireland, pipeline, protest, refinery, Shell, the pipe
Green living, Science & Technology, Videos & Documentaries, Oct 8th, 2010,
A sewage works in Oxfordshire, England is providing natural gas from human waste to the power grid. As much as 15% of natural gas in the UK could come from biogas or biomethane by the year 2020, according to the National Grid. Since biomethane is both a renewable power source and a way to use waste, it is seen by many as a win-win innovation in energy solutions. The average person produces the equivalent of 30kg of dried-out sewage sludge a year that could be used for producing gas. In theory that means the UK’s 62.5 million people could generate…
Tags: biogas, biomethane, energy, gas, human, power, renewable, sewage, UK
Climate Change, Politics, Videos & Documentaries, Sep 26th, 2010,
The environmental and geopolitical ramifications of melting Arctic glaciers and the rush of different nations for the region’s mineral wealth is fraught with conflict and change. Melting ice in the Arctic spells trouble for some of Greenland’s traditional indigenous Inuit and for low-lying nations vulnerable to rising sea levels. A warming climate will also change shipping routes in the region, contributing further to the opening up of the region for economic exploitation. The Arctic is becoming the new battleground for the environment. Groups such as Greenpeace, the WWF and Climate Camp actively confront the activities of oil companies, like Scotland’s…
Tags: arctic, change, climate, gas, glacier, greenland, ice, melting, mineral, oil, Russia
Green living, Politics, Sep 22nd, 2010,
European Mobility Week ends today and how many of us have even heard of it? I only did by the time it was more than half way over. Shame on me. The week is dedicated to promoting ‘eco-friendly ways of traveling’, according to a European Parliament press release. Members of European Parliament (MEPs) are using the opportunity to advocate walking, cycling, using public transport and electric bikes when powered by renewable sources, as well as highlighting the amount of global greenhouse gas emissions which come from transport (80%). The slogan for European Mobility Week is ‘travel smarter, live better’, a…
Tags: emissions, European, gas, greenhouse, MEP, mobility, parliament, transport, week
Climate Change, Pollution, Science & Technology, Sep 12th, 2010,
Coconut methyl ester (CME), the biodiesel extracted from coconut, is considered “green” since it is environmentally friendly and can help mitigate global warming. Greenhouse gases produce the so-called “greenhouse effect,” which traps heat near the Earth’s surface. Many human activities increase the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which can result in a gradual increase in the Earth’s surface temperature. Carbon dioxide, the primary greenhouse gas, occurs naturally but excessive quantities of it are released by burning fossil fuels such as coal and oil to generate electricity and gasoline for vehicles. Over 8 billion tons of carbon dioxide are…
Tags: biodiesel, CME, coconut, gas, greenhouse, Philippines
Videos & Documentaries, Sep 10th, 2010,
One person has died and 53 homes have been destroyed due to fires resulting from a gas pipeline explosion in the community of San Bruno, a suburb of San Francisco, California in the United States. A further 30 people are reported to be injured from the explosion and an additional 120 houses damaged from the fire. Firefighters continue to battle the blaze stemming from the ruptured Pacific Gas & Electric Co. pipeline. From a Euronews report: The blaze covers an area measuring forty thousand square metres, although authorities say it is being contained. See this video report from Reuters for…
Tags: explosion, fire, gas, pipeline, San Bruno, San Francisco
Climate Change, Politics, Pollution, Aug 16th, 2010,
The ‘greenest government ever’ is at it again. The UK’s coalition government headed by Prime Minister David Cameron and Deputy PM Nick Clegg has been cutting a lot of green programs and departments in the name of efficiency and belt-tightening. Now they are shelving one of their own environmental plans to regulate coal and gas power plants, a measure they claimed could be implemented upon taking office. From a report in the Guardian: Introducing a so-called “environmental performance standard” (EPS) for power companies would have restricted greenhouse gas emissions from coal and gas plants and encouraged companies wishing to build…
Tags: Cameron, Clegg, coal, coalition, EPS, gas, government, greenest, plants, power
Climate Change, Green living, Aug 2nd, 2010,
As an alternative to cutting meat consumption in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is considering the promotion of insects as a food source. The idea comes from a UN policy paper by a Belgian scientist at the University of Wageningen named Arnold Van Huis, who points out that most of the world already eats insects. In meat-rich Western diets – which are growing throughout the rest of the world and thereby causing emissions to increase – eating insects is somewhat taboo, but eating shrimp, which are very similar to insects, is considered…
Tags: beetle, citrus, emissions, farming, food, gas, greenhouse, insects, livestock, longhorn, meat, shrubs, trees, UK, UN, Van Huis
Pollution, Wildlife & Flora, Jul 28th, 2010,
Yesterday the United States experienced two more oil spills: One in the Gulf of Mexico, the other in the Kalamazoo River in Michigan. A tug boat, which was pushing a barge, ran into an abandoned well in the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday morning, causing gas and oil to spew 100ft (30m) into the air. The well is located in Barataria Bay, Louisiana, some 65 miles (105km) south of New Orleans. Barataria Bay is an ecologically rich wetlands and fishing area that has been unused since the Deepwater Horizon spill began on April 10th. This is at least the third…
Tags: Barataria, bay, gas, Granholm, Gulf, Kalamazoo, leak, Michigan, oil, pipeline, river, spill, well
Politics, Pollution, Videos & Documentaries, Jul 9th, 2010,
Due in part to the popularity of the environmental documentary film Gasland, the practice of natural gas extraction using hydraulic fracturing, alternately known as ‘fracking’ or ‘fracing’, has been the subject of much debate. The process of hydraulic fracturing involves drilling into shale reservoirs and creating fractures by pumping in water. The principle environmental concerns regarding fracking are the contamination of wells and aquifers with chemicals used in the drilling process, air quality issues and the mismanagement of solid waste. The spread of fracking for shale gas in the United States has already partially revolutionized the natural gas industry there…
Tags: environmental, Europe, European, frack, fracking, fracturing, gas, hydraulic, natural, oil, Poland, shale, United States
Climate Change, Green living, Politics, Jul 6th, 2010,
The UK-based 10:10 global campaign was founded in September of 2009 by the director of the environmental documentary film The Age of Stupid, Franny Armstrong. The idea of 10:10 is simple – to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 10% in 2010. This means everyone, on both individual and organizational levels – businesses, schools, religious organizations, sports clubs, hospitals and people – wasting less and saving more. Even the UK’s new coalition government, along with 9 other governments, has signed on. To those who say this is insignificant, remember this: the UK’s public sector has a bigger carbon footprint than the…
Tags: 10:10, campaign, carbon, Climate change, environment, gas, global, greenhouse, money, UK
Climate Change, Politics, Pollution, ,
The Nigerian government and Italian oil giant Agip – makers of Hello Kitty motor oil – are reaping huge profits from the Nigeria’s oil reserves while local communities remain in abject poverty. One pesky byproduct of oil extraction is natural gas which, given the facilities, can also be a source of energy and profit. Yet in the Niger Delta there is no requirement for facilities so Agip disposes of the gas by burning it in large gas flares, releasing large amounts of CO2 and resulting in hazardous health conditions for locals. The World Bank estimates that about $30bn worth of…
Tags: Agip, Al Jazeera, delta, flares, gas, Italian, Niger, Nigeria, oil
Politics, Pollution, Videos & Documentaries, Jul 3rd, 2010,
Gasland is a documentary film written and directed by Josh Fox which explores the practice of hydraulic fracturing, a widespread method used in drilling for natural gas in the United States. Hydraulic fracturing, often referred to as ‘fracking’ (yes, like in Battlestar Galactica), fractures rock in order to get at natural gas deposits in shale reservoirs. Environmental concerns associated with fracking include the contamination of groundwater, issues with air quality, greenhouse gas emissions and areas surrounding sites becoming polluted with natural gas and toxic chemicals used in the hydraulic fracturing process. Gasland starts out a bit haphazard, as if Fox…
Tags: drilling, environment, environmental, film, fracking, fracturing, gas, Gasland, Halliburton, Health, hydraulic, natural
Climate Change, Science & Technology, Videos & Documentaries, Apr 11th, 2010,
One third of greenhouse gasses in New Zealand come from livestock, according to the below report from CNN Eco Solutions. Home to just 4 million people, New Zealand has 38 million sheep 9 million cows, which fuel large export industries in dairy, meat and wool. These animals produce vast amounts of methane, a greenhouse gas 21 times stronger than CO2. Scientists in New Zealand are attempting to produce a vaccine that inhibits the microscopic methanogens that live inside the stomachs of sheep and cows from producing methane. CNN – Tackling belching cows Vaccinating the world’s cow population is one approach…
Tags: CNN, cows, dairy, emissions, gas, greenhouse, livestock, meat, methane, New Zealand, sheep
Climate Change, Science & Technology, Feb 19th, 2010,
A new article in The Ecologist shines a light on methane, the often-ignored greenhouse gas that is produced from both natural and human sources. Methane’s contribution to the greenhouse effect is estimated to be about 18% compared to CO2′s 63%. Yet it is also 20-30 times more potent than CO2 and has only one tenth the atmospheric life span. This means that methane emission reduction could have a significantly more immediate effect on curbing climate change than cutting CO2, which hasn’t happened yet on a global level anyway. Man made methane emissions can be reduced in among the following ways:…
Tags: acid rain, arctic, capture, carbon, Climate change, co2, emissions, gas, global, greenhouse, livestock, methane, permafrost, warming, wetlands
