It might seem a misnomer nowadays, but it really is a good name. It replaced town gas or syn-gas, which was artificially produced at coal gasification plants through pyrolysis and pumped into homes for heating, cooking, and lighting. It was a long time until natural gas replaced it. That shit was loaded with carbon monoxide and is the reason for the old head in the oven suicide trope.
That misses the point. It’s methane. Burning it releases carbon dioxide and whatever doesn’t burn or leaks is directly adding methane. The heat from burning it is more heat into the atmosphere.
Since we’re pumping it from underground every bit of it adds directly to the carbon cycle.
There is too much focus on what is already in the carbon cycle and while we are adding to the carbon cycle, none of it matters.
It might seem a misnomer nowadays, but it really is a good name. It replaced town gas or syn-gas, which was artificially produced at coal gasification plants through pyrolysis and pumped into homes for heating, cooking, and lighting. It was a long time until natural gas replaced it. That shit was loaded with carbon monoxide and is the reason for the old head in the oven suicide trope.
That misses the point. It’s methane. Burning it releases carbon dioxide and whatever doesn’t burn or leaks is directly adding methane. The heat from burning it is more heat into the atmosphere.
Since we’re pumping it from underground every bit of it adds directly to the carbon cycle.
There is too much focus on what is already in the carbon cycle and while we are adding to the carbon cycle, none of it matters.