[Dean's World] Dean: "Natural Gas"

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Posted by Dean:
"Natural Gas"
http://www.deanesmay.com/posts/1168309828.shtml


   The term "natural gas" is odd on multiple levels. But most Americans,
   when they use the term, are referring to [1]Methane, as well as
   Propane, Butane, and Ethane.

   Most people around the United States have furnaces and stoves powered
   by some form of "natural gas." The major exceptions are that minority
   of you who have electric-powered stoves and furnaces. Even you guys
   are missing something though: most electricity is powered in the
   United States by "natural gas." So even if you're a rare "all
   electric" household, the so-called "natural gas" probably powers you
   ultimately.

   An interesting fact being that most "natural gas" has no odor at all.
   The gas companies quite intentionally add chemicals like [2]Mercaptan
   into their "natural gas" mix just so people can smell a strange
   sulfuric smell if it's leaking. If you've ever suspected a gas leak in
   your home or business, because you "smelled gas," the only reason was
   because the gas companies are required to add chemicals just so you'll
   smell something. The additive chemicals do burn, but nowhere near as
   efficiently as the scent-less natural gases. They give off a distinct,
   slightly sulfuric smell even in small quantities.

   Otherwise you could die in your home or business. You could inhale
   huge quantities of these chemicals, and die of asphyxiation well
   before any explosion. They add these chemicals to give it a smell,
   usually thanks to state or Federal regulation.

   Although this does bring me to one Politically Incorrect observation:

   I've had friends and relatives who worked for the gas companies.
   They've always told me the same thing: if the man of the household (or
   a single man) says he smells something stinky, they are often
   skeptical. But if the woman of the household says she smells something
   funny, they usually believe her. Because, they say, the women are
   usually much more sensitive to bad smells, and detect those chemical
   additives in the air much quicker than the men do.

   "Men are often wrong, women are usually right." Or so they tell me.
   Which comes from the grunts on the front line, and not from any
   corporate position.

   Make of that what you will.

References

   1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_gas
   2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercaptan