While crude oil is the basic building block of the fuels that keep countries all over the world running, it does have a potentially bothersome side effect – the cloudy haze of smog. This atmospheric vapor is composed of nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide, and can also contain organic compounds that are quite volatile. These compounds can actually create ozone at ground level by their chemical interaction with heat and light from the atmosphere.
Smog can be more than just a nuisance – it can be a real health problem. It contributes to breathing problems such as asthma and respiratory distress, and can even be a chief cause in permanent lung damage. Because this is such a pressing concern in our modern society, energy companies such as Triple Diamond Energy Corp. search for ways to alleviate the effects of smog while still supplying the energy needs of demanding economies.
Environmental Issues Caused By Energy Production
This is even more important because smog is not the only environmental issue caused by energy production. Coal-fired power plants contribute to ecological concerns because they are a factor in creating what is commonly known as acid rain. Acid rain occurs when water vapor collides with the nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides that are a by-product of burning coal. As this now-polluted water vapor chemically reacts with sunlight, damaging acidic compounds are formed.
When that water vapor falls to earth in the form of highly acidic rain, environmental havoc can take place. Acid rain can permanently damage valuable crops and cause long-lasting effects to entire forests. But plants aren’t the only ones who suffer. Both humans and wildlife alike can develop respiratory issues as they inhale the acidic water vapor in the air. Because of these reasons we must be careful in how we use our oil and coal reserves so as ot to throw off the delicate balance of nature.
Triple Diamond Energy Corp Has An Answer: Natural Gas
Fortunately, we have an ally in the search for cleaner energy production: natural gas. This domestically available fuel source has many benefits that can turn back the clock on smog and acid rain – as much as fifty to seventy percent, according to some studies.
Why is natural gas a safer choice for our planet’s energy needs? For one thing, when natural gas burns, virtually no particulate matter is created as it would be from burning coal. By virtue of this, the air remains cleaner and acid rain becomes an issue of much smaller scale.
Additionally, cleaner-burning natural gas releases extremely low levels of the nitrogen oxides that cause smog. With the judicious use of natural gas replacing existing oil and coal power plants, air quality could significantly increase as ground-level ozone is no longer a by-product of energy production.
For these reasons Triple Diamond Energy Corp. is always searching for ways to increase its supplies of natural gas. By making cleaner energy sources more available to consumers and businesses, the world can breathe a little bit easier.
|