NATURAL GAS

BASIC DESCRIPTION

• Fossil fuel (the broken down remains of organisms from millions of years ago)
• Cleanest burning fuel/when burned gives huge amounts of energy
• Colorless and odorless
• Main ingredient of methane
• Combustible

BACKGROUND

• Formed millions of years ago under the compression of earths surfaces
• Made up of broken down organisms
• 500 B.C. Chinese discovered getting energy from fire
• Led to Americans discovering natural gas in 1626

ENERGY

• Generating electricity and heating
• Used most popularly on conventional stoves
• Versatile fossil fuel that we use for heating, electricity, industrial feedstock

CURRENT USES

• Meets about 1/4 of North Americans energy needs
• Essential for raw materials such as paints, fertilizers, films, etc.

BENEFITS

• Cleanest fossil fuel
• Highly effective form of energy
• Advantages over other fossil fuels: fewer impurities, less complex,etc
• Less pollution

DRAWBACKS

• Nonrenewable
• Contamination of drinking water
• Hasty shutdown of coal power plants
• Farm animals becoming sick and dying
• Highly flammable

FUTURE SUPPLY

• Steady climb in demand
• Vast amount of natural gas estimated to still be in the ground
• At the current rate, natural gas will be used up by 2068