Why gasoline is bad for the environment

The cost of gas is the reason electricity prices have been running so high since at least In contrast, renewable energy, even when backed by storage, is the lowest cost form of new electricity generation and keeps dropping in price each year.

If supply was the answer, this problem would have been solved already. Conventional gas is trapped in naturally porous reservoir formations that are capped with rock. When a well is drilled, gas flows to the surface without the need to pump. Unconventional gas is found in more complex geological formations which limit the ability of gas to be extracted.

This includes fracking, but covers others measures as well, and so not all unconventional gas requires fracking. Three types of unconventional gas are extracted in Australia: coal seam gas, shale gas and tight gas.

Many of these programs have benefits beyond cutting carbon. For example, decreasing fuel consumption can reduce our dependence on foreign oil and save consumers money at the pump. EPA and DOT issued a joint rule-making that set GHG emissions and fuel economy standards for the largest sources of greenhouse gases from transportation, including cars, light trucks, and heavy-duty trucks.

Renewable fuels are produced from plants, crops and other biomass, and can reduce greenhouse gas emissions when compared to burning the fossil fuels they replace.

EPA is also now working through the process of potentially setting domestic regulations under the Clean Air Act that address GHG emissions from certain classes of engines used in aircraft. The Energy Independence and Security Act requires federal agencies to only acquire cars, light trucks, or medium-duty passenger vehicles that are low greenhouse gas emitting. Each year, EPA evaluates the greenhouse gas emissions performance of the fleet to determine which vehicles in each class emit less harmful greenhouse gases.

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Here are seven impacts of oil and gas drilling:. Join our movement. Pollution impacts communities. Dangerous emissions fuel climate change.

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