According to a new Cornell University study, liquefied natural gas leaves a greenhouse gas footprint that is 33 % worse than coal when processing and transportation are taken into account. "Natural gas and shale gas are bad for the climate. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is worse,” said Robert Howarth, study author and professor of ecology and environmental biology. “LNG is made from shale gas and to make it you have to liquefy it and then transport it to market in large tankers. That takes energy.”

The research, "The Greenhouse Gas Footprint of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Exports from the United States," was published in October.

Methane and carbon dioxide emissions released during the extraction, processing, transportation and storage of LNG account for about half of its total greenhouse gas footprint, Howarth said.

Over 20 years, the carbon footprint for LNG is one-third that of coal when analyzed using the Global Warming Potential measure, which compares the atmospheric impact for different greenhouse gases.

Even on a 100-year time scale — a more acceptable scale than 20 years — the carbon footprint of LNG equals or still exceeds that of coal, Howarth said.

The findings have implications for LNG production in the US, the world's largest exporter after lifting an export ban in 2016, the paper said. (More on sciencedaily.com)