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High methane emissions: Researchers consider natural gas harmful to the climate than officially stated

2019-09-13T04:49:29.507Z


Natural gas is considered an important bridge technology for the energy transition. However, according to a study available to SPIEGEL, official figures on climate-damaging methane emissions are often too low.



"Good prospects for our climate", "More electricity from gas-fired power plants - less CO2 emissions": On billboards, natural gas is currently often praised as a green alternative for the electricity and heating sector. But according to calculations of a research team, the energy source could be far more damaging to the climate than previously known.

Although natural gas is lower in CO2 than coal, for example, it causes high methane emissions, according to a study by the Energy Watch Group (EWG), a think tank of the environmental politician Hans-Josef Fell (Greens), due to be published next week and the the MIRROR is present. For the climate this is enormously harmful.

Methane emissions from natural gas are far more drastic than official figures suggest, the study goes on to say. As a result, organizations such as the International Energy Agency have often calculated emissions that would be caused by leaks in power plants or pipelines. Large quantities of methane are also released from gas extraction from unconventional sources, known as fracking.

Already, methane accounts for more than two-fifths of all greenhouse gases, the EEC experts write. Increased use of gas as an energy source would increase emissions significantly. The bottom line is that the energy sector's greenhouse effect could increase by as much as 40 percent if the electricity and heat sectors switched from coal and oil to natural gas.

Corporations and governments should rather consistently rely on renewable energy, the study authors conclude. Above all, batteries and fuels based on renewable energies should be promoted accordingly. To this end, the renovation of buildings, the use of eco-electricity-driven heat pumps and their conversion from fossil fuels to biomass pellets or renewable gas should be taken forward.

Source: spiegel

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