Natural Gas

What energy we choose to use should be informed by as much reliable information as we can gather and not made in isolation.  Our choices as consumers add up to the total demand on energy sources.  We need to consider full life cycle costs, which include our personal expense and impact to be sure, but also what is the impact from extraction, production, our use, and what is available for disposal of used materials if required.  Because it is out of sight for most of us, we can forget about the unjust impact on other people, and our environment, particularly of extraction, and disposal.  If we are making decisions such as a new furnace or stove, it would be ideal to know with some certainty what shifts in those costs and impacts are likely to be over the life of our purchase.

Interactive data graphic of where Oregon utilities procure the Power we use  PGE  uses 60-70% Gas and Coal 

Unconventional Gas and Oil Extraction:  For this sixth edition of the Compendium, as before, we collected and compiled findings from three sources: articles from peer-reviewed medical or scientific journals; investigative reports by journalists; and reports from, or commissioned by, government agencies. Peer-reviewed articles were identified through databases such as PubMed and Web of Science, and from within the PSE Healthy Energy database. We included review articles when such reviews revealed new understanding of the evidence. 

Oregon has become increasingly dependent on natural gas to power homes and buildings. But that may have to change, following the Biden administration’s announcement at a global climate summit that it wants to sharply cut emissions of this potent greenhouse gas by tens of millions of tons by 2035.