Natural Gas: Palliative, Not a Cure

The author contends that natural gas acts as a 'palliative' rather than a cure for climate change, noting that while it emits less CO2 per kilowatt-hour than coal, its long-term use without carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) is imprudent due to carbon inertia. The text emphasizes the urgent need to eliminate methane leaks from gas, oil, and coal production, which are potent greenhouse gas sources. Furthermore, it warns against over-reliance on the 'shale gale' and the assumption that shale gas will remain cheap in the long term, urging a shift toward zero-carbon energy technologies.

• Natural gas provides short-term environmental benefits by displacing older coal-fired electricity generation, as gas plants emit less than half the CO2 per kilowatt-hour compared to coal and reduce pollutants like smog, soot, and mercury.
• Fuel switching to natural gas is insufficient as a long-term climate solution because CO2 emissions are effectively permanent, meaning emissions from a 'natural gas bridge' will persist for millennia.

APA

Cohen, A. (2011). Natural Gas: Palliative, Not a Cure. Clean Air Task Force. https://www.catf.us/2011/04/natural-gas-palliative-not-a-cure/

Chicago

Cohen, Armond. Natural Gas: Palliative, Not a Cure. Clean Air Task Force, 2011. https://www.catf.us/2011/04/natural-gas-palliative-not-a-cure/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Cohen |first1=Armond |title=Natural Gas: Palliative, Not a Cure |publisher=Clean Air Task Force |date=29 April 2011 |url=https://www.catf.us/2011/04/natural-gas-palliative-not-a-cure/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{cohen2011natural, author = {Cohen, Armond}, title = {{Natural Gas: Palliative, Not a Cure}}, publisher = {Clean Air Task Force}, year = {2011}, month = apr, url = {https://www.catf.us/2011/04/natural-gas-palliative-not-a-cure/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }