Natural gas, a.k.a. fossil gas, is not clean energy. It contains methane—a very potent greenhouse gas that escapes when natural gas is pulled from the ground, processed, and piped to homes and businesses. Methane leaks make fossil gas nearly as bad as coal in terms of its contribution to climate change. And natural gas releases carbon dioxide when it is burned, a less potent but far more persistent greenhouse gas.  Methane and carbon dioxide are the two largest contributors to the extreme temperatures and severe weather events caused by climate change.