In climate battle, question marks hang over natural gas

It is cleaner than coal or oil, but has downsides as transitional fuel

Excess natural gas being burned, or flared, from state-owned Pemex's Tula oil refinery in Tula de Allende, Mexico, on June 22. Rather than making greater effort to mitigate the demand for energy through conservation and energy-efficiency drives, or p
Excess natural gas being burned, or flared, from state-owned Pemex's Tula oil refinery in Tula de Allende, Mexico, on June 22. Rather than making greater effort to mitigate the demand for energy through conservation and energy-efficiency drives, or push the development of alternatives, the ready availability of gas, and its much-promoted image as a cleaner transition fuel, has undermined much-needed efforts to curb carbon dioxide emissions overall. PHOTO: REUTERS
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In the small Australian country town of Narrabri in northern New South Wales, an intense battle is raging between the locals, the state government and a big energy company.

Within weeks, the New South Wales government could approve the A$3.6 billion (S$3.57 billion) Narrabri Gas Project, which developer Santos, a major oil and gas firm, says will boost energy security in the state.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on September 18, 2020, with the headline In climate battle, question marks hang over natural gas. Subscribe