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This is just greenwashing so long as the source of Methane is from fossil fuels. This article is doing a lot of work to cover up this fact. The article says, "D

by TSiege 4y ago

This is just greenwashing so long as the source of Methane is from fossil fuels. This article is doing a lot of work to cover up this fact. The article says, "Despite the fact that natural gas is a fossil fuel, its conversion into methanol produces less carbon dioxide (CO2) than other liquid fuels in the same category." Before we get into "other liquid fuels", if it comes from the ground it's dirty. We have to be 100% clean energy if we want a habitable planet. Secondly it goes on to say "methane collection from the atmosphere is critical for mitigating the negative consequences of climate change since the gas has 25 times the potential to contribute to global warming as CO2." This is a bullshit suggestion with atmospheric methane levels still measuring in the parts per billion range. Just disingenuous and uncritical reporting all around

Animats 4y ago
> Just disingenuous and uncritical reporting all around Yeah, the jump from "we converted some hydrocarbon into an alcohol at lab scale" to "revolutionary new energy breakthrough" is a bit much. And all too common. Rearranging C, O, and H is routine. It's whether this thing makes sense energetically and financially that's the big deal. I kind of liked ethanol from cellulose. There's plenty of excess cellulose from agricultural waste. There are processes that work. But not ones that are profitable.
robotresearcher 4y ago
> "This article is doing a lot of work to cover up this fact. The article says, "Despite the fact that natural gas is a fossil fuel, its conversion... " So they're covering it up yet pointing it out directly. Using fossil fuels more efficiently is good, and is consistent with using them less. Using fossil gas more efficiently will keep it in the ground longer, meanwhile we make progress on renewables which keeps gas in the ground longer, etc.
mahkeiro 4y ago
Biomethane is a large source of energy. Currently in Germany more electricity is produced from it than from fossile methane. https://www.energy-charts.info/charts/energy/chart.htm?l=en&c=DE&chartColumnSorting=default&interval=halfyear https://www.energy-charts.info/charts/energy/chart.htm?l=en&...

by TSiege 4y ago

Animats 4y ago

> Just disingenuous and uncritical reporting all around Yeah, the jump from "we converted some hydrocarbon into an alcohol at lab scale" to "revolutionary new energy breakthrough" is a bit much. And all too common. Rearranging C, O, and H is routine. It's whether this thing makes sense energetically and financially that's the big deal. I kind of liked ethanol from cellulose. There's plenty of excess cellulose from agricultural waste. There are processes that work. But not ones that are profitable.

robotresearcher 4y ago

> "This article is doing a lot of work to cover up this fact. The article says, "Despite the fact that natural gas is a fossil fuel, its conversion... " So they're covering it up yet pointing it out directly. Using fossil fuels more efficiently is good, and is consistent with using them less. Using fossil gas more efficiently will keep it in the ground longer, meanwhile we make progress on renewables which keeps gas in the ground longer, etc.

mahkeiro 4y ago

Biomethane is a large source of energy. Currently in Germany more electricity is produced from it than from fossile methane. https://www.energy-charts.info/charts/energy/chart.htm?l=en&c=DE&chartColumnSorting=default&interval=halfyear https://www.energy-charts.info/charts/energy/chart.htm?l=en&...