What’s the big deal with gas at the moment?
Everyone is talking about it, from farmers to politicians. But is it bad? Is it a fossil fuel? Are we about to run out? We’ve taken the hassle out of searching for information and created some bite-size gas Q&A’s for you. Keen to level up? Take our dinner table challenge, and get your friends and family talking about gas too!
Q. Is gas a fossil fuel?
CLICK HERE FOR ANSWER →A. Yes!
Natural gas is a fossil energy source that formed deep beneath the earth's surface. Natural gas contains many different compounds. The largest component of natural gas is methane - a huge contributor to global warming.
BACK TO QUESTION →Q. Science says fossil fuels are contributing to global warming and climate change. Which of these are fossil fuels?
Coal, Solar, Gas or Wind Turbines
CLICK HERE FOR ANSWER →A. Coal and gas.
Gas is formed like coal, from the buried remains of plants and animals millions of years ago. Coal, crude oil, and natural gas are all considered fossil fuels because they were formed from the buried remains of plants and animals that lived millions of years ago. Gas is just another fossil fuel.
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Q. Which industry do you think generates the most jobs - renewables or the gas industry?
CLICK HERE FOR ANSWER →A. Renewables!
Renewable energy activity creates around 26,850 jobs.
Gas around half of that at 14,000! Annual direct FTE employment in renewable energy activities in Australia was estimated at 26,850 jobs in 2018-19 The Gas sector in Australia employs more than 14,000. For every $1 million in spending, the returns are 7.49 full-time jobs in renewable infrastructure and 7.72 jobs in energy efficiency, compared with just 2.49 for spending on fossil fuel projects.
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Q. How much taxpayer money do you think the Government plans to spend on the proposed 'gas-led recovery'?
$10.7M, $33.4M or $52.9M
CLICK HERE FOR ANSWER →A. $52.9M
In the October Federal budget, $52.9m of taxpayer funding was flagged to unlock more supply of fossil fuel gas, going against scientific advice that the LNG industry is leading to increased emissions.
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Q. Does gas create less C02 than coal?
CLICK HERE FOR ANSWER →A. Gas is just as bad.
The drilling and extraction of natural gas from wells and its transportation in pipelines results in the leakage of methane, a primary component of natural gas that is 34 times stronger than CO2 at trapping heat over a 100-year period and 86 times stronger over 20 years. That’s why a gas led recovery isn’t conducive to reducing our admissions to meet the Paris Agreement.
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Q. On a scale of 1-10 how bad do you think Gas is for our health?
CLICK HERE FOR ANSWER →A. 10.
It’s worse than you think! From extraction, to air quality, to gas leaks. Research in the Medical Journal of Australia estimates that 12% of childhood asthma is attributable to gas cooktop. In 2017-2018 this equated to approx 55,000 children who had asthma attributable to gas cooktops!!! Also communities living near gas extraction sites in the US and Australia have been found to have higher frequencies of extreme health impacts, ranging from premature births and birth defects to cardiovascular disease and cancer.
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Q. Which creates more methane, gas extraction or a French Bulldog?
CLICK HERE FOR ANSWER →A. Close call! Gas extraction.
Methane, the primary component of natural gas, produces about half the emissions of coal when burned - but it's a much more powerful greenhouse gas when leaked into the atmosphere. If the methane emitted in Australia was measured according to the latest science it would increase annual emissions by more than 50m tonnes a year, the equivalent of Sweden’s total carbon pollution.
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Q. In 2020, which of these have faced shortages?
Gas or toilet paper?
CLICK HERE FOR ANSWER →A. Toilet paper, omg!
Gas expansion on the other hand is not needed for grid reliability. Storage solutions and demand response technology are becoming competitive with gas peaker plants for balancing electricity grids. The Australian Energy Market Operator's most recent Draft Integrated System Plan shows no need for significant gas expansion in any scenario. And according to Wood MacKenzie, batteries could soon replace all gas peakers. Electrifying transport and buildings is expected to further help meet grid reliability expectations.
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Q. Would you invest in the Fax machine industry?
CLICK HERE FOR ANSWER →A. Neither would we!
And investing in a ‘gas-led recovery’ when the gas industry has been in decline doesn't make sense to us either. Data from the AEMO indicates that gas demand in eastern Aus peaked in 2012 and has declined since. Gas demand will continue to decline, possibly falling 50% by 2025, according to a scenario prepared by Melbourne Energy Institute. On top of that, renewables are cheaper than gas. According to the CSIRO, solar and wind have been the cheapest power generation technologies in most major economies for some time.
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