methane

Methane is a colorless, odorless, natural gas. It is not poisonous or toxic, but it is very flammable. This last characteristic is what makes it such a popular energy resource.

The Past:

Methane has always been one of the "global warming" gases. It has been ever present in the atmosphere; however, it seems to be building in recent centuries. Methane has the potential to affect global warming even more than carbon dioxide.

The Present:

Methane is used as an automobile fuel and is said to be more "green" and environmentally friendly than gasoline and diesel fuels.

The Future:
One of the more exciting uses of methane is in the realm of space travel. Because most other planets contain at least some methane (Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto), the methane could potentially be harvested and utilized for rocket fuel. The methane on the other planets could be used for the return trips back to Earth. We just need to learn how to better harness this natural resource.

Bloggers speaking about methane can be found at sites like carbonfund and planetary.

by AVERROES Are you a writer, passionate about this or any other topic? Join Blogcritics!

Original Technorati articles tagged “methane”

• in Green
  Dealing with the Rise of the Greenhouse Gas Jokers
  The worrying rise of two climate wildcards - methane and nitrous oxide - is flagged in the latest Bulletin from the WMO
  by wyrdways / on Nov 22, 2011
• in Green
  Bugs Ready to Munch on Climate Time-Bomb
  Scientists have defrosted microbes from the Artic's permafrost soils,and found their gases pose a real global warming hazard.
  by wyrdways / on Nov 7, 2011
• in Politics
  Japan Fukushima Nuclear Accident may not Sabotage the World Energy Needs
  The world should not exit nuclear energy but draw lessons from Fukushima Daiich disaster and strengthen nuclear safety
  by chicksmore / on Jul 8, 2011

Latest blogosphere posts tagged “methane”

 

• Shale gas: green groups condemn methane flaring plans for wells

  
  Marketspace Blog — Authority: 141
  The Guardian confirms that two leading fracking companies have plans to flare excess gas at sites in Lancashire and West Sussex . . . → Read More: Shale gas: green groups condemn methane flaring plans for wells Related Posts: Using shale gas over coal does not help climate, says big… Protesters attempt ...
  1 week ago

• A Company’s Story Must Carry Impingement Value to Obtain Widespread Publicity

  
  — Authority:
  In two previous columns, we talked about how quality management attracts Publicity, or PR. Nearly every company is constantly trying to attract the attention of the media. What brings the media to a company’s door? That’s what every public relations man or woman would love to know. For this is what PR people get ...
  1 week ago

• Fracking Is Interfering with Farming in WV and PA

  
  — Authority:
  Farm Field Testing “WV Host Farms” Concerns Include Fracking Impacts Commentary from Diane Pitcock, West Virginia Host Farms , May 10, 2013 In rural communities in WV, we have many small farms that rely on Farmers Markets to sell their produce for supplemental income. And we also have “ Mountain State ...
  1 week ago

• Climate Change

  
  — Authority:
  Climate change is called climate change. So far, it is called neither “climate disaster” nor “party-palooza in the warm sunshine.” But it appears that change is en-route and most people I know are somewhat anxious about it. So far, the predictions include receding glaciers and more extreme weather. The dry ...
  1 week ago

• Rep. DeGette & Gibson Introduce Bipartisan FRAC Act in U.S. Congress

  
  — Authority:
  Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO) Date:  May 9, 2013 Rep. DeGette (D-CO) and Rep. Gibson (R-NY) introduce bipartisan FRAC Act WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO) joined with her colleague Rep. Chris Gibson (R-NY) to introduce the Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act (FRAC ...
  1 week ago

• Study Evaluates Strategies for Generating Electricity From Hog Waste

  
  Science and technology news — Authority: 171
  Capturing methane gas from hog farms and piping it into existing natural gas pipelines may be a cost-effective way to meet North Carolina’s Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard (REPS), according to a new Duke University study. A modeling analysis by researchers at Duke’s Nicholas Institute for ...
  1 week ago

• Impact of Methane Emissions On Climate Understated

  
  — Authority:
  The impact of methane as a greenhouse gas has been severely understated, as the amount that can be released through fracking has been projected for an 100-year period. Considering that emitted methane can last in the environment for just over eight years, governmental decisions about shale gas exploration have been ...
  1 week ago

• Worth reminding: study established first “definitive” link to well water contamination from shale ‘fracking

  
  — Authority:
  David Biello over at Scientific American had a story  in 2011 that looked at research establishing a link between methane contamination in well water and nearby hydraulic fracturing of shale rock. The research came out of Duke University and was  published online  in Proceedings of the National Academy of ...
  1 week ago

• Agriculture, Livestock Remain Major GHG Sources

  
  — Authority:
  Global greenhouse gas emissions from the agricultural sector totaled 4.69 billion tons of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2010, the most recent year for which data are available — an increase of 13 percent over 1990 emissions, according to Worldwatch Institute. By comparison, global CO2 emissions from transport totaled ...
  1 week ago

• U. S. Shale Gas Exports: Friend or Foe?

  
  — Authority:
  GHG Impacts: Fossil Fuels U. S. Shale Gas Exports: Friend or Foe? Article by James Bradbury , World Resources Institute, May 8, 2013 U.S. natural gas production is booming. According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), production grew by 23 percent from 2007 to 2012. Now—with production ...
  1 week ago

• Degradation of submarine permafrost and the destruction of hydrates on the Eastern Siberian Arctic Shelf as a potential cause of the “Methane Catastrophe”: some results of integrated studies in 2011

  
  — Authority:
  Doklady Earth Sciences , 446(1) (September 2012) 1132-1137; doi:  10.1134/S1028334X12080144 Degradation of submarine permafrost and the destruction of hydrates on the shelf of east Arctic seas as a potential cause of the “Methane Catastrophe”: some results of integrated studies in 2011 V. I. ...
  1 week ago

• Gas detection? It´s also possible in a simpler way…

  
  — Authority:
  To monitor dangerous gases concentration with ready-made calibrated modules USM 5.1 series is a breeze. It is generally known, that it´s suitable and often even inevitable to monitor air in various factories, shopping centers but also in smaller buildings and in households. For this purpose, we offer you already ...
  1 week ago

• Another Way to Think About Short-Lived Greenhouse Gases

  
  — Authority:
  Climate discussions of late have focused a lot of so-called short-lived forcers. These are substances such as methane and black carbon that don’t stay in the atmosphere for all that long but trap a lot of heat while they’re there. Analysts use global warming potentials (GWPs) as shorthand to compare these gases ...
  1 week ago

• Energy and Environment News Roundup – 5.8.13

  
  — Authority:
  A daily roundup of the most important energy, environment, and climate news from around the world. ENERGY POLICY   China and India’s energy resource rivalry extends to the Arctic  (via Houston Chronicle) Federal government postpones oil, gas lease auctions in California  (via Houston Chronicle) US wind ...
  1 week ago

• Energy and Environment News Roundup – 5.7.13

  
  — Authority:
  A daily roundup of the most important energy, environment, and climate news from around the world. EMISSIONS   Japan, China, South Korea to cooperate on air pollution  (via Phys.org) EU to vote on carbon market reforms in July  (via RTCC) EPA to defend greenhouse gas emission rule today in federal ...
  2 weeks ago

• Energy and Environment News Roundup – 5.6.13

  
  — Authority:
  A daily roundup of the most important energy, environment, and climate news from around the world. TAR SANDS/KEYSTONE XL   Canadian minister takes fight for oil sands crude to Europe  (via Retuers) Oil sands growth will depend on Keystone: Canadian Natural Resources  (via The Globe and Mail) House to ...
  2 weeks ago

• REVIEW: Climate Change — The Moral Choices

  
  — Authority:
  MIT Review: May-June 2013 Climate Change — Moral Choices From the Book Reviews By David Rotman , MIT Technology Review, Volume 116, No. 3, May/June 2013. One of the defining characteristics of climate change is poorly appreciated by most people: the higher temperatures and other effects induced by ...
  2 weeks ago

• Voyage of the Mobro 4000 – Wandering Garbage Barge Helps Usher in the Era of Recycling

  
  — Authority:
  On March 22, 1987, the tugboat Break of Dawn , towing the barge  Mobro 400 0 , loaded with 3,168 tons of trash, set sail from Islip, New York, bound for Morehead City, North Carolina. The plan was to convert the trash to methane in a pilot recycling program. Things did not go as planned. Based on reports that the ...
  2 weeks ago

• EQT Corp. Will Spray WV Gas Lines Soon (Helicopters)

  
  — Authority:
  Helicopter Spray Controls Vegetation Herbicide will control vegetation growth Submitted to The Morgantown Dominion Post, on Page 9-A, May 4, 2013.   EQT Corp. will use the aerial application of herbicides to help maintain the rights-of-way (ROW) for some of its gas transmission and gathering lines throughout ...
  2 weeks ago

• The Black Keys Concert Poster by Methane Studios

  
  OMG Posters! — Authority: 580
  The always-great guys over at Methane have an awesome new Black Keys poster up for sale. It’s a 14″ x 24″ screenprint, has an edition of 250 (less online), and costs $40. Visit MethaneStudios.com .
  2 weeks ago

Comments about methane