Natural gas has long had a reputation for being the “cleanest” form of fossil fuel available, clean enough that it can be burned in open flames on a stovetop without any need for venting. That reputation is now being brought into question by new studies at Stanford University and elsewhere which show that natural gas residue and gas leakage even when no gas is being used can pollute household air with dangerous amounts of methane (NH3), carbon dioxide (CO2), and oxides of nitrogen (NOx).
The state of Oregon ranks 29th in its use of natural gas, with approximately 374,000 million cubic feet of the gas used in 2020. In January of 2021, an estimated 11,043 Corvallis residences used natural gas for heating and/or cooking.
In particular, natural gas is correlated with an increase in asthma symptoms in children. Asthma is an insidious illness which can strike a person at any time, limiting many people in their recreation.
Accordingly, cities across Oregon – and the State itself – are changing building codes, to phase out gas piping in homes and schools. The ongoing issue of preparing for the great earthquake which awaits in our future is also relevant, since broken gas lines result in fires.
Plus, of course, natural gas is still a fossil fuel, and when burned releases CO2. Also leaks release methane. Both of these are greenhouse gasses, so burning natural gas still contributes to global warming.
By John M. Burt
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