The Wall Street Journal recently ran a very informative article on a somewhat controversial industry practice called fracking. The practice of hydraulic fracturing has been around for more than 60 years.
Hydraulic fracturing involves injecting water, sand, and chemicals into a well at high pressures to loosen shale and release natural gas.
In 2001, engineers came up with the idea of combing hydraulic fracturing with horizontal drilling in natural gas wells that are trapped in shale formations. As of 2000, only 1% of all natural gas came from shale wells; in 2011 that number has risen to 25%.
There are many issues that can be argued about the practice of hydraulic fracturing. Here are but three: fracking contaminates the water supply, fracking releases toxic chemicals, and fracking causes cancer.
It doesn’t seem logical that fracking could contaminate the water supply for the simple fact that the average shale formation is thousands of feet below the surface. Most drinking water supplies are more like hundreds of feet below the surface, not thousands. Even the U.S. EPA has no known cases of water contamination due to fracking.
The argument that fracking releases toxic chemicals is also hard to follow. The fact is that 99.5% of the fluid injected in the shale is water and sand. The other .05% of the chemical fluid is required by law to be reported in the states where the majority of fracking is conducted.
Finally, there seems to be no credible study or report that shows that fracking causes cancer. State health officials in Texas recently determined that the level of benzene, a common chemical used in fracking, was similar to those measured in the general U.S. population.
The effect of this procedure is that it has introduced a fresh supply of natural gas on the market. This, among other things, can help explain why natural gas pricing has remained relatively steady while the price of oil has risen. This steady pricing is in spite of a marked rise in demand for natural gas.
Now could be a great time to look at locking in your rate for the next year. We invite you to compare natural gas rates and terms as we rapidly approach the fall and winter.
FireSide Natural Gas is committed to educating consumers about the advantages of using natural gas. For more information, you can contact them at 678-872-0250 or visit their website at www.FireSideNaturalGas.com
Showing posts with label Environment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Environment. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Monday, March 7, 2011
Your Carbon Footprint
Recently, a lot has been written about the environment and going green. One particular area of focus is on an individual’s carbon footprint. So what exactly is a carbon footprint? Simply put, it is a representation of the effect human activities have on the climate in terms of the total amount of greenhouse gases produced (measured in units of carbon dioxide). So, it is a measure of the impact we make individually on the earth by the choices we make regarding our lifestyles.
One’s total carbon footprint/emission quantification would include energy related emissions from human activities – that is, from heat, light, power and refrigeration and all transport related emissions from cars, freight and distribution, etc. By measuring the carbon footprint through such tools as carbon calculators, we can get a better sense of what the individual impact is and which parts of our lifestyle deserve the greatest attention.
How do you calculate your family’s carbon footprint? Here are some questions that are typically used to help determine a typical household carbon footprint:
Did you know that switching to natural gas appliances can reduce your home’s carbon footprint over 40%? It’s true. In a typical single family home in Georgia, the CO2 output for electricity is 16,663 lbs/year whereas the natural gas CO2 output is 8,852 lbs/year. Thus by using natural gas appliances, your carbon footprint can be reduced by 47% per year. That is the equivalent of driving your car 7,800 miles less in one year!
Natural gas has many advantages for our environment and lifestyles including reducing your carbon footprint. The best way to offset your carbon footprint is to plant some trees. Planting trees replenishes sustainable habitat for wildlife, enhances the natural landscape and is an excellent way to give back to the planet. And saving the planet is an initiative we can all agree on!
FireSide Natural Gas is committed to educating consumers about natural gas and the choices that they make for the environment. For more information you can contact them at 678-872-0250 or visit their website at www.FireSideNaturalGas.com.
One’s total carbon footprint/emission quantification would include energy related emissions from human activities – that is, from heat, light, power and refrigeration and all transport related emissions from cars, freight and distribution, etc. By measuring the carbon footprint through such tools as carbon calculators, we can get a better sense of what the individual impact is and which parts of our lifestyle deserve the greatest attention.
How do you calculate your family’s carbon footprint? Here are some questions that are typically used to help determine a typical household carbon footprint:
- What part of the country do you live?
- How much square footage is your home and how many people live in your home?
- Do you use natural gas or electricity to heat your home and water?
- How many loads of laundry per week do you use you dryer for?
- Do you prepare meals on a range, stove, or oven?
Did you know that switching to natural gas appliances can reduce your home’s carbon footprint over 40%? It’s true. In a typical single family home in Georgia, the CO2 output for electricity is 16,663 lbs/year whereas the natural gas CO2 output is 8,852 lbs/year. Thus by using natural gas appliances, your carbon footprint can be reduced by 47% per year. That is the equivalent of driving your car 7,800 miles less in one year!
Natural gas has many advantages for our environment and lifestyles including reducing your carbon footprint. The best way to offset your carbon footprint is to plant some trees. Planting trees replenishes sustainable habitat for wildlife, enhances the natural landscape and is an excellent way to give back to the planet. And saving the planet is an initiative we can all agree on!
FireSide Natural Gas is committed to educating consumers about natural gas and the choices that they make for the environment. For more information you can contact them at 678-872-0250 or visit their website at www.FireSideNaturalGas.com.
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