Dear Paul,

Q: I just moved to upstate New York from Oklahoma. Gas and propane are widely used there because of the abundance of natural gas and availability of propane, which is a biproduct of oil refineries in the region (about half the homes in Oklahoma are heated with natural gas and 99 percent of towns and cities have access to natural gas pipelines). I read there is new natural gas exploration in Sullivan County and gas might become more widely available here in the future. What do you think is more green: natural gas or propane? And since both are carbon-based, isn’t it better we look in other directions?
—Hartke, Accord A:Fantastic question for this region, especially considering the recent activity you mentioned in Sullivan County. Recently, several real estate clients (NYC second-home buyers) told me they were afraid to buy a home in Sullivan County for fear that development from natural gas drilling and pipelines could have a negative influence on home property values.

On the positive side, developing local energy sources lessens our dependence on volatile foreign sources. And I have seen super efficient propane and gas burners installed in energy efficient homes. Another upside to gas and propane is that it burns cleaner than oil, reducing harmful emissions and requiring less furnace maintenance. Several homeowners I know have coupled high efficiency propane burners with radiant floor systems and have really low energy costs compared to some other methods.  

In the end, though, I do not think natural gas or propane are green. They are non-renewable and eventually will run out. The book High Noon for Natural Gas by Julian Darley is recommended reading. Michael T. Klare, author of Resource Wars, said about the book:

“While much is known about the growing pressures on petroleum supplies, far less is known about natural gas. As Darley convincingly demonstrates in this important book, the long-range future for gas is just as bleak as it is for oil. This invaluable book arrives at a critical juncture.”

Even if gas and propane sources could last forever, why would we want to keep drilling and excavating the earth, build pipelines, or ship and truck something to our house to burn?

We should focus on totally renewable forms of energy like passive solar, solar photovoltaic, solar thermal, geothermal, and air heat pumps. Powering homes like this makes us more self sufficient and secure, and less prone to price movements in the energy markets.

On the other hand, there are some very clever people out there making truly renewable forms of gas to use as an energy source. In China, a chicken farm is generating biogas from manure and generating $1.2 million worth of electricity each year. And in California, a farm saves $45,000 in energy costs by creating biogas through vaporizing walnut shells and burning the gas in a converted propane burner. So maybe there is a real green future for gas after all.
—Paul

Have a question for Paul? E-mail him at greenadvocate@scheinmedia.com