What do you know about natural gas? While people concerned about the climate are familiar with the harms of carbon-dioxide (CO2), many are still unaware that natural gas is actually methane—a fossil fuel—that, when released into the atmosphere, warms the planet 80 times more than CO2 in the short-term. And it’s a serious concern among scientists and policymakers.
The UN’s 2021 Global Methane Assessment called reducing human-caused methane emissions “one of the most cost-effective strategies” to limit warming to 1.5°C—the internationally agreed upon threshold for global warming—identifying oil and gas as the sector with the largest methane mitigation potential in the North American region.
Yet, fossil fuel companies have been fighting efforts to curtail the gas. They say natural gas is a cleaner alternative to other fossil fuels, such as coal, which is true, except when methane leaks, which happens all along the supply chain. Publicly, they’ve positioned their product as a short-term “bridge fuel,” a temporary stopgap that will help the US transition to renewable energy sources. Privately, they’ve been investing in its long-term future as a “destination fuel.”
Photo credit: Josh Landis
This is episode 1 in the four-part docuseries, Phantom Threat, a production of Nexus Media News presented in partnership with Peril & Promise.
Funding made possible by Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors. Special thanks to the Gas Leaks Project.
About the Series:
Phantom Threat is a series about the role of the “natural” gas industry in shaping public perception of the fuel, as well as the work of frontline communities, climate leaders and scientists to uncover the truth about its risks. It features activists working to expose the negative climate, environmental and health impacts of gas throughout its entire lifecycle––from its extraction from the ground to its use in producing plastic to its consumption in homes.
