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RNG: Zero Scope 1 Emissions and Negative Carbon Intensity

By District Energy posted 03-04-2021 17:21

  

RNG recycles carbon and reduces our dependence on fossil natural gas

By Shashi Menon, EcoEngineers

 

If we want to get serious about climate change, it is critical we address our over-reliance on fossil fuels, which are a primary driver of greenhouse gas emissions. Whether it’s diesel, gasoline, kerosene, propane, or coal, burning these sources of fuel emits carbon into the atmosphere, disrupts the naturally-occurring carbon cycle in our ecosystem, and fundamentally threatens our way of life.

However, recycling the carbon already in the atmosphere prevents the extraction and combustion of fossilized carbon sources. 

Think of an aquifer below the ground that holds water; let’s say you want to limit your dependence on it. You would try to use rainwater and other surface water as much as possible to meet your daily needs. If you can switch 100% of your water use to surface water, you will not draw any new water from the aquifer. 

Recycling carbon is the same concept. By using carbon that is already on the earth’s surface and the atmosphere, we are not extracting new sources of carbon from fossil fuels that have been buried in the ground for millions of years. Renewable Natural Gas or RNG is a fuel source that recycles carbon in the atmosphere and reduces our dependence on fossil natural gas.

To illustrate the point, if all the natural gas consumed in the U.S. was RNG, there would be no new carbon emission from fossil gas sources. The resulting Scope 1 emissions for entities burning RNG would be zero.

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