Proponents of natural gas are muddling energy policy and impeding our ability to make climate progress (“Coal and oil shouldn’t be part of Mass. energy mix,’’ Editorial, Jan. 11). Increased reliance on gas would require enormous investment in infrastructure that will last generations — time that must be spent sharply reducing greenhouse gas emissions if we are to combat climate change.

We need to move beyond the idea of energy sources that require combustion.

Burning natural gas emits more than two-thirds the amount of carbon dioxide produced from an equivalent amount of oil burned, but to understand the full climate consequences, you must consider the production and transportation of gas. Methane (natural gas) is 86 times more potent a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide when released into the atmosphere, over a 20-year timeframe. Methane is released not just through unintentional leaks, but as a part of regular system operations. Those first 20 years are critical. We are already experiencing troubling effects of climate change, including frigid temperatures in the United States relating to melting arctic ice.

New pipelines are a step backward. The Legislature must act decisively on climate policy that brings renewables and energy storage online.

Kathryn R. Eiseman

President

Pipe Line Awareness Network for the Northeast

Cummington