Dumb question....
My stove burns natural gas inside. It doesn't pollute the house. So why would Portlands Energy Centre which runs on natural gas be a polluter?
(And if you're going to say, "Actually your stove is polluting your house you just don't realize it...." You're missing my point. I mean it's not polluting my house the way running my car in my kitchen would kill me in minutes or the way a coal fire in the kitchen with no chimney would suffocated everyone.)
Natural gas stoves do not release natural gas into your home, as this would be extremely dangerous.
This is how they work.
The stove draws natural gas from the gas line. When you turn on a burner and ignite it, the gas mixes with oxygen from the air and burns. This combustion produces heat, water vapour, carbon dioxide, and other by-products.
So yes, it does “pollute” your home, as it emits carbon dioxide, which is a greenhouse gas, but the amount produced is relatively small and typically not harmful to humans in well-ventilated areas. However, inadequate ventilation can lead to elevated levels of carbon dioxide, which can cause drowsiness and discomfort. It’s a good idea to use carbon dioxide detectors to monitor levels in your home, especially in tightly sealed spaces.
If there’s a natural gas leak, it’s important to take action, as fast as possible. Natural gas leaks can be dangerous because natural gas is highly flammable and can displace oxygen in confined spaces, leading to asphyxiation. If this does happen, ventilate the area, turn off the gas supply at the source (if it’s safe to do so), and evacuate immediately.
Unlike a car, a stove doesn’t store natural gas inside it; gas flows from the supply line only when a burner is in use. Basically instead of a car having a gas tank, it is stationary and sits next to a gas station, getting refuelled whenever you need to drive.
Remember, good ventilation is essential not only for carbon dioxide but also for other pollutants that can be produced during cooking, such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Keeping your kitchen well-ventilated reduces the risk of exposure to these substances.
The reason why Portlands Energy Centre does pollute, it’s because it actually burns natural gas. It generates electricity by burning natural gas, emitting pollutants such carbon dioxide (CO2), Methane (CH4), Nitrogen oxides (NOx), including nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and nitric oxide (NO), Sulfur dioxide (SO2), Particulate matter (PM), including fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and coarse particulate matter (PM10), Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), Carbon monoxide (CO), Hazardous air pollutants (HAPs), such as benzene, formaldehyde, and toluene, Mercury (Hg), Lead (Pb), Ozone (O3) (produced through chemical reactions involving NOx and VOCs)
These can be dangerous if you live by the plant. As the air quality can suffer. Take a look at industrial cities, the air quality there is horrible.
