Rob Jackson’s Recent Book Sheds Light on the Dangers of Natural Gas

Rob Jackson’s Recent Book Sheds Light on the Dangers of Natural Gas

Elizabeth Balzani

Natural gas is primarily composed of methane, and methane poses not only environmental risks, but also health risks, such as increased exposure to carcinogens, and safety risks. In his recent book titled Into the Clear Blue Sky, Rob Jackson uses a mixture of personal anecdotes and scientific studies to highlight the dangers of natural gas.

Environmentally speaking, methane is a powerful greenhouse gas. It is more potent than carbon dioxide, meaning that it traps heat even more than carbon dioxide does. In fact, Jackson notes that over the course of two decades, methane is 80-90 times more potent than carbon dioxide.

According to Jackson, over 60% of U.S. households depend on gas for daily necessities like cooking and heating. Jackson and his team conducted a study in which they measured how much natural gas was released from gas appliances each time they were turned on and off. What they discovered regarding gas stoves was especially eye-opening.

According to the study, the amount of methane that leaks from gas stoves across the U.S. is equivalent to the emissions of half a million cars per year! Inhaling these emissions, especially indoors, can be extremely harmful to one’s health. For instance, Jackson and his team confirmed that natural gas emitted from gas stoves contains benzene, carbon monoxide, and nitrous oxides. Benzene is a known carcinogen, which the World Health Organization (WHO) addresses as being harmful even in very small amounts. Jackson’s team measured a benzene concentration of 11 parts per billion (ppb) in one home after the oven was turned on, which is 3 ppb higher than what the WHO considers hazardous. Carbon monoxide is toxic to breathe, and nitrous oxides are known to trigger asthma. Once released into the air, these substances can linger in household air for hours.

Additionally, Jackson notes that many kitchens are not equipped with proper ventilation to ensure harmful substances are not inhaled. Stovetop hoods do little to reduce inhalation of harmful gases, as many hoods simply recirculate contaminated kitchen air rather than vent it outside.

Natural gas is a safety hazard as well in many areas of the U.S. In addition to surveying homes for gas leaks, Jackson and his team survey cities. Their findings have revealed thousands of gas leaks along pipelines in U.S. cities like Washington, D.C. and Boston. According to Jackson, some pipes are over 160 years old and are major sources of methane leakage. In fact, some leaks in Washington, D.C. sprouted due to manholes containing explosive methane levels. Jackson also explains that some gas leaks near buildings are not considered hazardous enough by utility companies to be repaired, so gas continues to leak and pose a public safety threat. It stands to reason that decreasing natural gas usage would decrease leakage, thus decreasing explosion risk, and increasing public safety.

Natural gas bans can promote better health and can increase public safety. There is movement towards electrification rather than relying on gas. For example, New York will ban new homes built starting in 2026 from using appliances requiring fossil fuels.

There has been pushback from the American Gas Association, and from various gas utilities, in response to such bans. Gas utilities have even taken legal action against companies wishing to push electrification over gas use. Furthermore, some gas companies, such as those responsible for the Weymouth Compressor Station in Massachusetts, have not been transparent about the risks natural gas poses. According to Jackson, air pollution data from the Weymouth site was not reviewed sufficiently before station approval. The station also refused to comply with safety requests from one of Jackson’s colleagues, such as asbestos testing at the station excavation site. To make things worse, the compressor station had several incidents where gas was accidentally released outdoors, contaminating the air.

Elizabeth Balzani is a recent college graduate. She has worked at places such as University of Nebraska, Cornell University, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, conducting research on green energy, biology, and how the two intersect. She is a contributing writer for G.E.T.