Natural Gas, Coal, and Climate Change

An Associated Press article in the NY Times titled,

Natural Gas Overtakes Coal in U.S. Electric Generation 

caught my attention, as I was not aware of the total magnitude of natural gas in U.S. electric generation. Natural gas has a distinct advantage over coal in electric generation, namely only about half the amount of carbon dioxide is emitted (1). But it also has drawbacks, such as methane leakage, and disruption of local communities. For a very thorough analysis of natural gas' role in averting climate change, read Joe Nocera's analysis in the NY Times Opinion Pages titled,

Shale Gas and Climate Change