In a few other places in the world, including the Netherlands, methane gas escaping naturally from seeps is being captured and used as an energy source. Walter says that there is potential to apply this on a local scale in places such as Alaskan villages, thereby harnessing the natural gas and reducing the need to ship diesel fuels to remote locations.
But while such efforts at reining in methane march forward, energy prospectors are exploring how they might be able to tap vast stores of the gas on the sea floor — a practice that could potentially introduce sequestered gases into the environment. Rather than harnessing gases that are already escaping, this would involve mining gas hydrate reservoirs for energy. One such project between the US government and energy giant BP has begun modelling gas hydrates to determine whether the process is commercially viable. Other countries, including Japan, South Korea, China and India, are investing substantial amounts into similar research. The United States is believed to hold some 5,700 trillion cubic metres of gas hydrates — that's nearly 9,000 times the country's current annual natural gas consumption, making the resources potentially highly lucrative. But for their part, some climate researchers hope that methane clathrates will stay right where they are for a very long time. "It sounds to me technologically very difficult if not dangerous," says White. "This is a sleeping giant that should be left asleep."
【Sleeping giant?】相关文章:
最新
2020-09-15
2020-08-28
2020-08-21
2020-08-19
2020-08-14
2020-08-12