In Ann Donnelly’s column (“Restore partnership with NW Natural gas,” The Columbian, April 2) promoting natural gas, she never mentions climate change or its other negative effects. Natural gas is extracted by fracking, which injects over 600 toxic chemicals into the ground, polluting the water and killing the fish.
From extraction, transit in pipelines and in our homes, natural gas releases methane, which is far worse than CO2. A Stanford-led study said, “that methane leaking from gas-burning stoves, even when they are off, has the same negative impact as the carbon dioxide of 500,000 gas powered cars.” In addition, gas stoves leak nitrogen oxide, which is harmful to human health. Children who live in homes with natural gas stoves have a higher rate of asthma.
Climate change causes drought, floods, extremes storms, and forest fires. Last summer we experienced smoke from forest fires and were told to stay indoors. Our children’s future depends on how quickly we transition from fossil fuels to affordable, clean green energy.
