fossil gas
English
[edit]Noun
[edit]- gas (mainly composed of methane) derived from a fossil source, i.e. decomposed plant and animal matter, preserved in sediment or sedimentary rock; fossil-derived fuel gas.
Usage notes
[edit]The term 'natural gas' has been more commonly used for methane gas derived from a fossil source, as the term was coined to distinguish it from coal gas, an artificially created gas, derived from another fossil fuel.
In Sweden, the term 'fossil gas' (or 'fossilgas', as it is spelled in Swedish) has effectively replaced 'natural gas' (or 'naturgas') as the standard term for gas derived from fossil sources, due to the term 'natural gas' having been an effective tool of greenwashing, and quelling debate about the sustainability, and environmental impacts of the use of what is undeniably a fossil – and thus non-renewable – fuel source.
The change also serves to make 'fossil gas' easily distinguishable from 'biogas', which is methane gas derived from organic waste, through a process that is both renewable and sustainable.[1]
Synonyms
[edit]- (gas derived from a fossil source): natural gas