Natural gas is essentially methane recovered from oil and gas bearing strata. It can also be produced by cracking heavy oils, thermal decomposition of plastics, and anaerobic digestion.
Pros: Methane:
- creates less carbon dioxide per BTU than any other carbon based fuel
- is easily transportable
- burns without soot or sulfur dioxide
- has available technology for use at all levels of consumption
- is cheap
- does not pollute soil or groundwater if released
- can be made from a variety of wastes
Cons:
Methane:
- has a greenhouse gas effect 21 times that of carbon dioxide
- is a limited natural resource
- It is very expensive to liquify and transport. Offshore platforms in many parts of the country will burn natural gas because it is uneconomical to transport to external markets.
- It is better than oil or coal in terms of pollution, however burning of natural gas does emit CO2 and because so much of it is used, it contributes to global warming.
- Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) ports raises safety concerns, because of the possibility of accidents/ explosions. Whether this concern is valid is subjective. LNG ports (on the receiving end) are frequently located miles offshore.