The Office of Fossil Energy in the U.S. Department of Energy recently published a classroom poster, Common Products Made from Oil and Natural Gas, that asks the question, “Did you know most of this stuff comes from oil and natural gas?”
The poster is produced as an educational item for children, but it is beneficial for...
In early May 2014, in conjunction with the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP), the Obama administration released its 2014 National Climate Assessment. According to USGCRP, the purpose of the National Climate Assessment, which is conducted every four years, is to summarize the current and future impacts of climate change on the U...
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released their latest Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP) data report, updated to Sept. 1, 2013. The report shows that U.S. greenhouse emissions have continued to decline, in keeping with the trend that began in 2009.
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Actually, this is a trick question, because you do. If you live in the United States, you definitely use natural gas – hundreds of times a day. How so, you say?
The most well-known uses of natural gas are for heating homes and providing fuel for water heaters. Some backyard grills burn natural gas. But even if you don’t use any of these, you still consume natural gas.
Do you have...
Renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar power, have their benefits, and they are great sources of intermittent power; however, as contributing Forbes writer David Blackmon highlights, these renewable energy sources of electric power generation are not reliable. If the sun is not shining or if the wind is not blowing, then there must be a backup power source to avoid frequent...
There are many myths circulating about the supposed lack of regulation in the oil and gas industry. In a Forbes article, "Shale Oil And Gas Development Is Heavily Regulated," David Blackmon confronts these false accusations head on. Blackmon argues against Josh Fox's claim in the documentary film "Gasland" that the oil and gas industry is somehow above or exempt from federal...
Natural gas has a long history as a reliable fuel source for home heating, industrial manufacturing and electrical generation. However, securing long-term supplies has always been tied to the discovery and development of conventional “oil and gas reservoirs” that over time became more difficult and expensive to find and often occurred in environmentally or politically sensitive...
The United States is a world leader in many areas, but using natural gas as a transportation fuel is, unfortunately, not yet one of them. According to statistics from the Natural Gas Vehicle Knowledge Base, there were over 15 million natural gas-powered cars and trucks in the world as of 2011, but only...
It is now obvious that domestic and global energy companies are beginning to believe in unconventional shale-gas and potential markets in the U.S. In just a few short years, we have seen Exxon-Mobil, Shell, Chevron, BP and others buy out some independent producers in major shale plays. We have also witnessed countries such as France, India, Italy and China investing heavily in the U.S. gas...
Until recently, burning of coal generated the majority of the electricity in the United States; however, as of 2012 – and for the first time in history – energy production from natural gas fired power plants has equaled that of coal production. According to the graphic below, the U.S. Energy Information Agency says that energy sector CO2 emissions have dropped to 1992 levels. This dramatic...
Have you ever wondered where natural gas and oil are produced in the U.S, and how much is produced by state? To help identify these U.S. locations and their production numbers, NBC News created an interactive map, giving users the ability to select a state and view its total energy production figures. Users can also make an energy sector selection from a drop-down menu and view state-...
When people think about natural gas, they usually think about their home water heater. In fact, most people know that approximately half of the electricity in Texas is generated by natural gas, but it is uncommonly known that natural gas is part of virtually everything we use, wear and eat.
Natural gas is a key ingredient in the production of some of the most basic, everyday items we...
The shale gas boom, which started in the Barnett Shale, has produced so much natural gas that prices have remained low. While low natural gas prices are good for consumers, energy exploration and production companies have changed their focus from dry gas plays such as the Barnett Shale, to oil rich plays such as the Eagle Ford Shale in South Texas.
But low...
The game-changing development of the Barnett Shale unleashed a torrent of natural gas supplies in the United States. Supplies increased so quickly as other gas shales were developed that natural gas supplies outpaced demand, causing prices to decline since mid-2008, and now becoming fairly stable for the last year or so.
Even though many exploration and...
In 2010, a “documentary” about the evils of natural gas drilling, funded by the Park Foundation, an anti-drilling group, was shown at the Sundance Film Festival. The actor Robert Redford, an outspoken anti-drilling advocate, hosts the annual festival. The documentary film, named “Gasland,” went on to win an...
