3 ms·
> They apparently aren't any more ecological than natural gas because the process generates large amounts of methane I thought the problem with fossil fuels is
by emteycz 6y ago
> They apparently aren't any more ecological than natural gas because the process generates large amounts of methane
I thought the problem with fossil fuels is that we're taking the carbon out of the ground instead of the air.
- ant6n 6y agoIf you turn CO2 in the air into methane in the air then you still have a problem, since methane is 40x as potent as a greenhouse gas.
- gambiting 6y agoYes but on the other hand CO2 stays in the atmosphere hundreds(thousands?) Of years while methane breaks down in just few years, no?
- phaemon 6y agoNo, because it breaks down into CO2. Methane is 21x more potent than CO2 over a 100 year period, and 72x over a 20 year period. So, if you're concerned about what's happening now, that's the figure you need to consider.
- _Microft 6y agoYou do not want to turn carbondioxide into methane to vent it into the air. You want the methane because it is a good fuel (natural gas consists mainly of methane).
- ant6n 6y agoThe point is that even a small amount of accidentally released methane will destroy your co2 balance
- _Microft 6y agoYes, that's a huge part of the problem. Burning things is less of a problem (carbondioxide-wise!) as long as you emit no extra carbon extracted from fossil sources.