EDF to study methane emissions from natural gas industry.

摘要

The US Environmental Defense Fund has organized a series of studies with which to assess whether or not natural gas (or methane) production, processing, and utilization results in significant quantities of fugitive emissions. Methane is considered to be one of the six greenhouse gases, which impacts global climate change. As the use of natural gas-powered vehicles becomes more widespread, with many companies seeking a so-called "clean" alternative to diesel fuel, environmental and industry groups alike are looking to assess the possibility that use of natural gas, which consists largely of methane, could result in excessive emissions of that gas—a troubling prospect given that methane is over twenty times more harmful than carbon dioxide. At present, Waste Management Inc., along with PepsiCo, Volvo Group, Westport Innovations, and Cummins Westport, is cooperating with a study being conducted by West Virginia Univ.'s Center for Alternative Fuels, Engines, and Emissions, which will assess the environmental impact of liquefied- and compressed-natural gas vehicles.