Natural Gas - A Solution?

[dslot12]

Hello all,
First time poster here. The controversy about whether natural gas is a viable and greener energy source than our current means of generating electricity is a hotly debated topic. I made a video that I think is very relevant to this topic as well as our energy future, and I encourage you to check it out! Search "Natural Gas - A Solution" by 23rdCenturySlang on YouTube and let me know what you think!

 

[Mr. H.]

How about a little more narrative.
BTW the topic is only "hotly debated" by environazis who don't know their ass from a hole in the ground.

 

[mamooth]

Mr. H's nutball righty-fringe-cult ordered him to say that.

And he's not about to disobey. He'd be cast out of the herd if he did, and to a herdbeast like Mr. H, banishment from the herd would be like a death sentence.

 

[Toddsterpatriot]

Hello all,
First time poster here. The controversy about whether natural gas is a viable and greener energy source than our current means of generating electricity is a hotly debated topic. I made a video that I think is very relevant to this topic as well as our energy future, and I encourage you to check it out! Search "Natural Gas - A Solution" by 23rdCenturySlang on YouTube and let me know what you think!

It has one advantage over "green energy", it actually works.
And doesn't require government subsidies to make it profitable.
And it isn't controlled by friends of Obama, so of course, he's against it.

 

[mamooth]

Mr. H also wishes to announce he has no gonads. The poor widdle guy had his feefees hurt and negged me for laughing at his cult antics.

Doesn't he understand that crying at me just encourages me to mock the crybaby harder? I'll happily take neg hits for the chance to ream a pansy who richly deserves it.

 

[freedombecki]

Mr. H also wishes to announce he has no gonads. The poor widdle guy had his feefees hurt and negged me for laughing at his cult antics.

Doesn't he understand that crying at me just encourages me to mock the crybaby harder? I'll happily take neg hits for the chance to ream a pansy who richly deserves it.

Farting about neg reps needs to be done where no one can see, hear, or smell you.

 

[gslack]

Hello all,
First time poster here. The controversy about whether natural gas is a viable and greener energy source than our current means of generating electricity is a hotly debated topic. I made a video that I think is very relevant to this topic as well as our energy future, and I encourage you to check it out! Search "Natural Gas - A Solution" by 23rdCenturySlang on YouTube and let me know what you think!

Natural gas isn't a solution, it's a supplement. The core problem still remains. It's still a fossil fuel source. It's made much the same way oil is. It's not infinite, so soon we would be right back where we are now.

The only viable alternative fuel I see in our future is Hydrogen and resulting fuel cell technologies. Right now the cost of extracting pure hydrogen or the derivatives h2, h3 et, are prohibitive. It's the perfect next fuel, because it fits the lifestyle we have already, and it's abundant, and fuel cell technology does not burn the hydrogen meaning no hazardous exhaust at all. Fuel cells, compress the hydrogen and force it through a membrane, dividing the molecules creating an electric charge.That charge is sent to electric motors powering the vehicle or whatever device attached to it.

And here's the kicker. The exhaust is water...

 

[Saigon]

Dslot -

Natural gas is an excellent source of energy, with the particular advantage that it works so well alongside solar (because gas plants can be fired up and turned down quickly and efficiently to fill in a nighttime energy supply) as is now being used widely in Europe.

But using gas for electricity is a waste, I think. I would rather see gas used for transport.

The future for electricity production is going to be nuclear, tidal, solar and wind (in that order) and gas plants thus probably won't be needed for another 20 years or so, IF we wish to use that gas for transport.

 

[gslack]

Dslot -

Natural gas is an excellent source of energy, with the particular advantage that it works so well alongside solar (because gas plants can be fired up and turned down quickly and efficiently to fill in a nighttime energy supply) as is now being used widely in Europe.

But using gas for electricity is a waste, I think. I would rather see gas used for transport.

The future for electricity production is going to be nuclear, tidal, solar and wind (in that order) and gas plants thus probably won't be needed for another 20 years or so, IF we wish to use that gas for transport.

Solar, too inefficient, too costly to maintain, too limited in application and results.

Wind, too limited, too costly to build and maintain, dangerous, harmful to the ecosystems.

Tidal or hydroelectric, again too limited in application and harmful to ecosystems.

Nuclear, limited due to cost and waste disposal.

 

[Saigon]

Gslack -

Neither wing, solar, nor tidal are catch-all solutions, which is possibly why many posters find them difficult to understand, but each is perfectly viable and productive in favourable conditions.

Around the Mediterranean, for instance, in some areas 90% of homes feature a solar panel. This has had a massive impact in countries like Italy, Turkey and Israel - so much so that prices for electricity have fallen sharply in Italy recently.

I'm not a huge fan of wind, but obviously in Denmark, Germany and Spain it has been impressive, and will continue to be so in future.

But tidal is likely to be the major form of renewable energy in future because it produces electricity 23 hous a day, and in volume. The US may be some distance behind in this field, but for countries like Scotland, Korea, New Zealand, Norway and Japan, it is surging ahead.

To me it is kind of funny to mention the environmental impact of tidal energy - but not mention the environmental impact of coal, which is obviously far, far greater. Tidal energy need not have any environmental impact at all - it just needs tinkering, which is now almost complete, actually. I know of one project involving 200 x 18 metre turbines that will soon be launched.

 

[editec]

I think (hope) that natural gas is part of a energy production glidepath that will give us enough time to find less polluting and (chepaer?) sources of energy.

Ultimately I think mankind is foolish burning hydrocarbons for energy when those hydrocarbons are such good stuff to use to make better stuff we need.

 

[LoudMcCloud]

My has worked in Natural Gas for 30+ years and says its doable. However, will the government let something like that happen?

 

[Mr. H.]

My has worked in Natural Gas for 30+ years and says its doable. However, will the government let something like that happen?

Your what?

 

[Mr. H.]

I think (hope) that natural gas is part of a energy production glidepath that will give us enough time to find less polluting and (chepaer?) sources of energy.

Ultimately I think mankind is foolish burning hydrocarbons for energy when those hydrocarbons are such good stuff to use to make better stuff we need.

Do you think it's foolish to turn corn into ethanol, or do you think corn should be used to make better stuff (food) that the world needs?

 

[Old Rocks]

There is an excellant short article in this month Scientific American on the ROEI of the various technologies with regard to electrical generation and transportation. Natural gas is a very good alternative to coal fired plants as we make the transistion from fossil fuels to the renewables. Mr. H has a sound interest in the natural gas field as he is a driller. But his knowledge will be just as usefull for geothermal as for natural gas.

There is no one technology for the energy of the future. From tidal, slow current, to solar and wind, the mix will be dependent on local conditions. And the cost of solar, wind, and the rest of the alternatives is coming down as the cost of the fossil fuels continues to rise. Tar sand oil ROEI is about the same at present as Solar Panels, and that is not including the cost of the envirnomental degradation involved in the mining and processing of the tar sands. Corn ethonol is a clear loser, and something I have thought a bad idea from the git-go. The data on the distance a kJ of energy will take you in an electric compared to what a kJ will take you in an ICE is rather surprising. Almost double.

 

[LoudMcCloud]

Its just like propane. You just need a converter for your car or truck. My old 89 chevy ran on propane. It had a 113 gallon tank in the back. Back then it cost 45cents a gallons. lol.

I only got 8 miles to the gallon though.

 

[Saigon]

Loud -

Both CNG and LPG are excellent fuels with quite decent miles per gallon. I'd rather see gas used for that than for electricity myself.

 

[KissMy]

Mr. H's nutball righty-fringe-cult ordered him to say that.

And he's not about to disobey. He'd be cast out of the herd if he did, and to a herdbeast like Mr. H, banishment from the herd would be like a death sentence.

Mr. H is an oil & gas man. No one ordered him to say that. He is speaking from his point of view.

 

[KissMy]

Loud -

Both CNG and LPG are excellent fuels with quite decent miles per gallon. I'd rather see gas used for that than for electricity myself.

Elon Musk explains using physics why Natural Gas is better used to generate electricity to charge electric cars than burning it only to propel cars.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgKWPdJWuBQ"]Elon Musk: The mind behind Tesla, SpaceX, SolarCity[/ame]

 

[KissMy]

Corn ethonol is a clear loser, and something I have thought a bad idea from the git-go. The data on the distance a kJ of energy will take you in an electric compared to what a kJ will take you in an ICE is rather surprising. Almost double.

Corn Ethanol creates more food than Corn alone does. For that reason alone it is a winner. Corn is fed to livestock. Livestock evolved as foragers, not raw corn eaters. Animals eating corn emit methane gas & pass most of the nourishment of the corn out into manure that emits methane & pollutes water. Methane is 15 times worse on the environment as CO2. Ethanol plants grind, cook & use enzymes to breakdown corn into energy & protein. Ethanol plants turn all the stuff in corn that animals emit into the atmosphere as methane, into Ethanol before feeding it. The Corn Ethanol Plant by-product is DDG livestock feed that grows animals faster than corn or grass does. The fact is if you are in livestock production, you can not be competitive unless you are feeding Ethanol DDG Feed! Also ethanol plants run on waste heat from power plants & steel mills. They do not consume raw energy to generate Ethanol. The real EROEI for Corn Ethanol is 3 to 1.