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http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/2/AmericanFlag.jpg Natural gas produces about half the greenhouse gases as gasoline and emits almost no particulate matter in combustion. (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/t-boone-pickens/pickens-natural-gas-autos_b_352361.html)

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/T_Boone_Pickens.jpgT Boone Pickens - HUFFINGTONPOST (http://www.huffingtonpost.com) - Nov 10, 2009

Good case for a bridge technology --Ed.

...In September 2009, we imported 357 million barrels of oil at a cost of $25 billion. That represented about 63 percent of the oil we consumed in September. At current prices, we will spend about a third of a trillion dollars on imported oil over a 12-month period. That is money circulating through the economies of Saudi Arabia, Nigeria and Venezuela instead of South Carolina, North Dakota and Virginia.

About 70 percent of the oil we import is used as transportation fuel, refined into gasoline or diesel. We have about 250 million cars and light trucks in the national fleet. There are 6.5 million heavy-duty trucks and 18-wheelers moving goods around and across America.... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/t-boone-pickens/pickens-natural-gas-autos_b_352361.html

Natural gas produces about half the greenhouse gases as gasoline and emits almost no particulate matter in combustion.


So....would this actually help against global warming? Cutting CO2 by half seems like a good idea, but it was found that particulate matter actually helps cool. Without the particulate matter, we would be in much worse shape, maybe.

Natural gas is a bridge solution - not a long-term solution.

For that matter, 1st-generation hybrids are not the long-term solution either.

So....would this actually help against global warming? Cutting CO2 by half seems like a good idea, but it was found that particulate matter actually helps cool. Without the particulate matter, we would be in much worse shape, maybe.

Perhaps there would be an offset from the removal of particulates, but removing the particulates makes the air much cleaner which is much more healthy for people and plants That should mean less human-health-related activity and more plant life in urbanized areas.

Additionally, with clean air in the cities it makes cities more pleasant places to live.

The headline refers to "Natural Gas Autos", but the content of the article is actually about using natural gas for heavy trucks, not. Which probably does make a lot of sense. As chuck mentioned it is probably a stopgap, but a stopgap could mean 20 years.

I once considered buying a Civic GX, but it has non-folding seats (like the HCH) -- and very little trunk space left next to the big fuel tank. Just not a practical vehicle for my lifestyle even if availability of refueling locations weren't a consideration. Fuel storage is a big problem for natural gas passenger cars, but the idea is probably a lot more viable for heavy trucks, delivery vehicles and school buses.