https://otherwords.org/stop-the-spread-of-liquefied-natural-gas-before-its-too-late/
[Let's all agree to stop using the 20-year impact period for the global
warming potential of methane (natural gas). We don't have that much
time left to reverse course on GHG emissions, per the IPCC (who are
generally optimistic in their forecasts).
The number to use is *130*. That's the global warming potential rating
of methane in 10 years (GWP10). 130 TIMES more potent than carbon
dioxide (CO2). And we are learning weekly that we are emitting much
more methane into the atmosphere ('fugitive emissions') than we thought
the week before.
There is also the economic mirage being used to justify the current race
to join the LNG stampede - that there is an infinite market for the
'bridge' fuel. Not so much, really. The supposed giant market is Asia,
but it is now saturated and the commodity price is taking a hit.
[https://www.lngindustry.com/liquid-natural-gas/22042019/asian-lng-spot-market-saturated-with-new-cargo-offers/]
Current reported sales are in the same range of US$5.00 to US$5.00 per
MMBTU.
links in online article]
Stop the Spread of Liquefied Natural Gas — Before It’s Too Late
A liquefied natural gas disaster could make an oil spill look like a picnic.
By Olivia Alperstein | December 17, 2019
Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is a potential disaster in the making.
That’s the conclusion of a new report by Physicians for Social
Responsibility, which surveyed an abundance of research on LNG’s threats
to public health.
LNG is natural gas that is filtered and supercooled to -260° F, turning
it from gas to liquid. That makes it easier to transport in special
cryogenic tankers when pipelines aren’t an option, such as for overseas
shipping.
But while the fracking that extracts the gas, and the pipelines that
often move it, have generated well-deserved controversy, the risks of
LNG haven’t gotten as much attention. They deserve more.
The new report finds significant risks from the extraction process
(including gas leaks and air pollution), further pollution from the
liquefaction process, and serious risks of fires and explosions.
And I mean serious. A full LNG tanker carries the energy equivalent of
55 atomic bombs. If one caught fire or exploded in a populated area, it
could make an oil spill look like a picnic.
Even without exploding, the gas poses serious risks to our climate and
health.
LNG is primarily composed of methane, a greenhouse gas that is 84–87
[*130* GWP10] times more powerful than carbon dioxide over a 20-year
period, which makes it a major contributor to climate change. And the
fracking process, the report adds, injects a further “slurry of
chemicals” into the surrounding environment. Many are known to
contribute to strokes, cancer, and asthma.
LNG export facilities are often located in areas already plagued by
dangerous levels of pollution from energy and industrial facilities —
often areas with mostly African American, Native American, Hispanic, or
low-income families. Facilities may also be sited close to schools and
nursing homes.
“Such proximity, often reflecting these communities’ lack of political
power, intensifies the impact on vulnerable populations and people with
pre-existing health conditions,” the report notes. These communities are
also more likely to lack the resources to address environmental health
concerns.
Despite these dangers, there has been a boom in LNG production in the
United States over the past 15 years. According to federal regulators,
there are over 110 LNG facilities operating in the United States.
The United States is exporting record amounts of LNG to the global
market right now, and there are plans to expand LNG facilities in many
parts of the country. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is pushing an
ill-advised proposal to transport LNG by rail.
Expanding these projects would increase pollution, put human health at
risk, and increase the risk of catastrophic fires and explosions. It
would also sink billions of dollars into infrastructure that would lock
the United States into greenhouse emissions for decades to come.
Thanks to the Trump administration’s systematic rollback of critical
health and safety protections, we simply don’t have the safeguards to
protect ourselves or our planet from fracking, pipelines, or LNG.
As PSR’s new report makes clear, LNG poses a grave risk to our planet,
our health, and our future. Instead, we need to demand healthy solutions
for our communities. Our health needs to come first — before fossil fuel
corporations’ bottom line.
It’s time for decision-makers at all levels to protect their
constituents, before it’s too late.
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