• Rich Barlow

    Senior Writer

    Photo: Headshot of Rich Barlow, an older white man with dark grey hair and wearing a grey shirt and grey-blue blazer, smiles and poses in front of a dark grey backdrop.

    Rich Barlow is a senior writer at BU Today and Bostonia magazine. Perhaps the only native of Trenton, N.J., who will volunteer his birthplace without police interrogation, he graduated from Dartmouth College, spent 20 years as a small-town newspaper reporter, and is a former Boston Globe religion columnist, book reviewer, and occasional op-ed contributor. Profile

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There are 15 comments on Fueling Global Warming, Not Homes

  1. Great work by the professors and by Rich Barlow for covering this. Please continue to draw more attention to this issue in the hope that the gas companies are forced to do something about it.

  2. Excellent work by Prof. Phillips and his team. Hopefully a variety of pressures could, and should be brought to bear on the gas utility company or companies whose gas is leaking. The most direct pressure would be to identify and quantify as much leaking as possible and not allow the utility company to spread the cost of that gas over its customer base, but pay for it out of profits. Then see how quickly they rush to remedy their leaks.

  3. An enlightening study. Perhaps the Gas utilities could be forced to repair the tens of thousands of leaks all accross the state instead of spending money on negative ad campaigns. I think the $700k they are currently spending on bashing the oilheat industry could be better spent on making sure the commonwealth and its residents are safe.

  4. For the 5 and a half years that I lived near the Shawmut station in Dorchester, there has been a persistent leak on Center Street, right next to the T. Everyone Ive ever asked who has walked through that zone has been able to clearly detect the sulfur based gas additives (that added rotten egg smell that makes detecting leaks ‘easier’) and there has never been any attention given to calls or complaints.

    The street has been dug up for other purposes, but the area consistently smells of leaking gas (and its pretty strong walking through it.) I seriously worry about the health of the residents… its a residential street with Dorchester’s usual spread of victorians.

  5. Maybe National Grid is doing something about it. They’re replacing gas pipes on my street in Brighton, and quite a few other streets in Brighton as well. You never sknow where you’re going to have a detour. They won’t be finished until mid-November. Please let the snow hold off until they’re finished. :-)

  6. Excellent work being done here. This type of proactive science is exactly the type of science that can identify where Federal dollars in tax breaks should be allowed to each business, should our government approve plans such as Candidate Romney’s proposal. In other words; allowing tax relief for corporations in exchange for infrastructure repair/improvement,based on the actual cost, up to the maximum expense of necessary improvement repair. If business want tax credits then, they should have a sound infrastructure that is in-line with environmental policies and no tax break should be allowed to increase profit until it is proven that the business is well maintained and, as reasonably green as possible. It is time for acceptable losses at the consumer/taxpayer’s and environments expense be eliminated. This behavior alone would create job’s and can span many other sectors.
    Good Job on this work! I would like to see this science examining the electrical grid’s and assessing the equipment that is inefficient and or should be improved as that area of public utility is in need of creditable trusted scientific evaluation.

  7. I should have also mentioned that BU Engineering and this department should look into economical and long-term effective engineering methods/design that should also be imposed on these businesses with tax relief allowed for infrastructure repairs. This engineering solution setting the minimum standard of an acceptable repair solution and, a standard government officials should could use to impose improved guidelines for long-term effective improvement.

  8. The Chemistry show that biological operating systems are impacted by synthetic methane and other compounds in the admixture of natural gas; combined with toxic products in the environment. Humans and animals exposed to these toxins are at risk of biological dysfunction, the problem posed is that theses compounds are constractants and or dehydrators which block or prevent bio generation i.e. cell growth..

    We must bring Human Security to the agenda

  9. Nice use of technology to solve environmental and infrastructure related issues. Like the video. is there a system where the residers could also proactively report about the leaks so that the team can come around with the analyzer and take a look?

    1. How so? And worst offender of exactly what? Gas leaks? I’m asking out of pure interest, too. Not trying be argumentative.

      BU puts a lot of emphasis on its sustainability programs and energy efficiency of its buildings, etc. I’m sure the researchers featured in this story would be interested in hearing why you feel the way you do…

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