Fuel for transport: Many people are unaware that natural gas vehicles reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by more than 85%, suspended particulate matter (which remains in the air and affects human health) by almost 100% and sulphur by 100%. CO 2 emissions are also reduced by up to 25% .
Greenhouses: Natural gas allows for a reduction in polluting emissions of up to 95% and crop production can increase by up to 120%.
Football stadiums: did you know that the accounting directors email lists Santiago Bernabéu, Real Madrid's ground, uses natural gas to heat spectators using infrared? In an open space like this, it is a very efficient system, because the radiated heat only affects people and is not lost in the air?
Combined cycle power plants: they transform the thermal energy of natural gas into electricity, they are safe and the CO2 emissions are less than half those of a coal power plant.
The natural gas trivia
If children ask you more questions after your explanation of what natural gas is, it doesn't mean you got it wrong. It's just that children always want to know more. Take a look at these other questions and the simple answers they have:
Who discovered natural gas? William Hart, the father of natural gas, dug the first well to extract natural gas from underground.
Why is it called “natural”? Natural gas is called that because it is extracted directly from nature.
Is natural gas always the same? It depends on the deposit. The composition and calorific value of the gas can vary.
Does natural gas smell? No, but a substance is added to give it a distinctive smell. So if there is a leak, it can be easily detected.
Is natural gas always in gaseous state? No, it can be liquid. In this case it is called liquefied natural gas (LNG) . Natural gas is usually liquefied to make it easier to transport, since when it needs to be transported over long distances, it may not be worth building pipelines under an entire ocean.
Is natural gas safe? Of course! As long as the regular inspections required by law are carried out. In Spain, domestic natural gas installations must undergo a mandatory inspection every five years.
Is natural gas a sustainable energy source for generating electricity?
Yes. Natural gas was already considered one of the least harmful energies for the planet and, finally, the European Parliament has approved considering it sustainable as long as two conditions are met when using it to generate electricity: guaranteeing that the level of carbon emissions is a maximum of 100 g/kWh (grams per kilowatt hour) in existing plants and 270 g/kWh in those to be built in the near future. In this way, it can be considered one more way to fight climate change .
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This is a good time to explain to children that there are other energies that are completely clean and renewable but that are not yet 100% implemented.
Therefore, during this period of transformation in which we are all moving towards energies such as solar or wind, the best thing we can do is use those that have less impact on the planet, such as natural gas.
