American Thinker-
United States carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from the power sector and the broader economy have declined 61 percent between 2006 and 2014, mainly from “switching from coal-to-gas-powered generation,” according to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Second Installment of the Quadrennial Energy Review, January 2017. These environmentally sound numbers from higher use of natural gas can also be translated globally to help with pollution in countries such as China, India, and the entire continent of Africa.
The U.S. now uses natural gas converted to liquid natural gas (LNG) from shale deposits in states such as Texas, North Dakota, and Pennsylvania to transform geopolitics. Lower LNG prices stymie terrorist-financing budgets in Tehran and lower the ability for Putin’s Russia to weaponize their energy assets for geopolitical adventures in Ukraine, Crimea, Syria, Central Asia, and the Middle East.
How this new soft power of energy transforms the world economically, geopolitically, and positively toward Western-aligned institutions is through increasing LNG exports, which “hit a new record high at 4.7 billion cubic feet per day in May 2019.” The U.S. is approximately the world’s third largest LNG exporter. Illustrating this power has seen the U.S. add four new LNG trains “with a combined capacity of 2.4Bcf/d come online since November 2018.”
Countries with heavy LNG deposits can transform their national fate and redirect their foreign policy and national security initiatives without deploying their militaries. Energy economics overtakes military significance, because everyone needs the power generation and electricity that clean-burning LNG exports provide.
Positively, it means that the U.S. no longer has to rely on Middle Eastern authoritarians to power its economy, and the world order that has depended on the U.S. for global security since the end of World War II (WWII). Negatively, since the U.S. no longer needs Saudi oil or Qatari LNG, then the debate overprotecting the Strait of Hormuz, where “90 percent of oil exported from the Gulf, [and] about 20 percent of the world’s supply passed through,” would be a non-starter. read more
“U.S. add four new LNG trains ” Cities are banning oil trains from passing. They’ll freak over gas trains.
My wonderful son in law is an officer for an LNG company producing in Texas and Louisiana. This has such for political implications. YEAH!
anonymous- The natural gas lines are already crisscrossing the USA….”underground”. All established a long time ago.
Over 25 years ago I sat through a presentation by a geologist working for BIG OIL. He said the USA has two of the largest “untapped” Natural Gas deposits in the world. One on the east coast and one on the west coast. Don’t let the AGW warmers screw things up.
It’s all good.
…except for Berkley
And @cynic, except Lower NY State as well, and THAT is a lot of people!
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2019/05/19/utility-halts-natural-gas-hook-ups-for-nyc-long-island-after-cuomo-administration-blocks-pipeline/
Thanks Andy! FOR NOTHING.
You maniacal jerk.
ExxonMobil recently announced plans to build a gigantic LNG storage and shipping terminal in Sabine Pass, Texas. It will liquify, store and ship natural gas to countries all over the world. Europe will be less dependent on the Russians for their warmth during the winter. There are already two huge LNG facilities similar to this one near to where this one will be built. I believe ExxonMobil is spending eight billion dollars to construct it. Most of the natural gas for this terminal is being produced in Texas.
US natural gas will rule the world…except in Berkeley, where the City Council has vote to ban its use in new homes, starting next year. In a related development, a petition drive is underway to build a wall around Berkeley to prevent the inmates from escaping.