1.What are some of the positive and negative effects of the decreasing price of natural gas?
2.Should this decrease in the price of natural gas compel or deter ohio to bring the new plant proposed by shell to the state?
3.Will the fact that we have enough natural gas to last us for decades slow our switch to alternative energy sources?
Some positive effects of the decreasing price of natural gas are that the energy source is now a lot more affordable for many people who use natural gas for residential and industrial purposes; natural gas is also a cleaner burning fossil fuel than coal and oil so increasing its use over those other two sources may contribute a little less to air pollution and toxic emissions. Some negative effects are that there will still be some emissions from using natural gas and processes that are harmful to the environment (like hydraulic fracturing) will still continue or even increase due to the surplus of natural gas that was found.
ReplyDeleteI’m a little on the fence about whether or not this decrease in the price of natural gas should compel Ohio to bring the “cracker” here. On one hand, the surplus in natural gas could potentially create thousands of new jobs in the industry. On the other hand, since there is a decreased demand for natural gas due to the surplus, there might be less money actually put into the industry if there aren’t enough people asking for it. So for me it a split decision when it comes to the economy.
I think that those who look at “decades” as a long time will not feel the need to search for alternative sources of energy. But those who feel that our energy sources are limited and are thinking more long-term will definitely still feel a push to look for other sources as we have already seen.
The decreasing price allows low-income families to have cheaper access to a way to heat their homes. Many people struggle during the winter to keep their heating bills paid for and the decreasing price makes it more affordable to heat a house. It negatively encourages companies to drill for more because as it becomes more affordable, more people will be able to use it and the companies will gain a larger profit. Soon the demand will begin to reach and eventually exceed amount of gas we are currently pumping and more wells will need to be drilled which, as we know, causes groundwater pollution, heavy metals release, and many other environmental problems. This should compel Ohio to bring the ne Cracker here because more gas will be available to turn into ethylene. I do believe that this can slow our switch to alternative energy sources because natural gas is much cleaner than other fuels and that is a driving force behind what we use to power our homes and businesses. Alternative energy sources will not be as affordable as the natural gas and therefore people will be less likely to want to develop them.
ReplyDeleteThe lower price of natural gas is good for many consumers because they get the product at a much lower price, allowing them to have a constant supply of natural gas. The problem with the lowering price is that it encourages companies to find more natural gas, which in turn increases our dependence on natural gas. It also encourages them to increase harmful ways of getting the natural gas, such as fracking. It digs us into a deeper hole, with less of a chance of weening off of natural gas if we later decide that it is necessary. i think that the lowering price will compel both the people who live in ohio and the company to consider a plant here more seriously. If ohioans learn that they can get natural gas at a cheaper price than expected, they will want all of the resources available to acquire the natural gas. If companies are realizing that they need more sites to acquire natural gas (so that they can sell enough to make a certain profit), they will be more inclined to open a new plant, such as the one proposed in ohio. I believe now that the price for natural gas is decreasing and with the idea that there is enough to last us a substantial amount of time, the search for other fuels could potentially decrease. But at the same time, I believe that the conciousness of the risks and dangers of fracking and even dependence on any sort of non-renewable source is increasing as well. So as long as the concioussness outweighs the monetary temptations, natural gas will not become a problem.
ReplyDeleteDecreasing the price of natural gas means many things, good and bad. On the bright side, obviously revenue will increase and with that, extracting more natural gas will become more frequent creating jobs. This is great for the economy. Homeowners would be paying less to energize their homes and would not think twice about it. However, though extracting the natural gas is not as harmful as other forms of energy, the lowering of prices and more frequent extraction would be very bad for the environment. In order to get this natural gas, fracking is needed, which we know has many harmful effects on the environment. Though people may be saving money now, they may be paying for it later in the form of earthquakes or contaminated water. Decreasing the price of natural gas will beckon companies in. I believe that a decrease in the prices will encourage Shell to build in Ohio. It would be easier. Lastly, this would move us further from the ultimate goal of alternative energy. We would become even more dependent on fossil fuels. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DR8C0dzQT4s
ReplyDeleteThere are some major effects with the changing of the prices. Not only will people not see the need to switch over to "greener" energy, but everyone will start to think that we have an abundant supply that will be here forever and there is no use in conserving it. This is not good! we need to be able to show that it is still better to go green and maybe spend a little money now and save for the future for generations to come. We are going to push it off furthur and further and going green will never happen. This will help the economy now that the prices went down, but it isnt looking good for the future. This will make it look better to bring the shell project to Ohio. Because the prices went down, it makes natural gas at a higher demand. Since the demand is so high and everyone wants it, shell knows that it will be rolling in money after this project is set up in ohio. The shell project needs to be stopped and we need to not use the excess gas as a way to not go green. I think it will delay going green forsure. Hopefully we use this gas until we can get back to the way we were financially, but then we need to go green. As studies have shown, we are altering the climate and we need to stop as soon as possible. I think that we need to go green before it is too late.
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