Nikiforuk quotes a number of analysts and industry insiders who know better. Today's prices are pointing to a more insidious trend - we're running out of gas. On one very important issue, though, Nikiforuk is dreadfully wrong with his facts. And global warming is the most serious environmental problem the earth faces. Just like burning oil, burning gasoline, burning coal, or burning anything else, carbon is released into the atmosphere when burning natural gas.
Natural gas is nearly as bad as any other combustible in that respect.
Because it burns more efficiently than other hydrocarbons, however, the net GHG output per unit of heat energy, is less. In storage, in transmission, everywhere - natural gas is leaking methane into the atmosphere. Natural gas nets out to about two-thirds the GHG contributor of oil or coal. In parts of the world where natural gas is a replacement for oil, coal, or nuclear generation of electricity, there is a valid environmental argument for switching to natural gas from a less efficient hydrocarbon. Of course, if you are not burning anything to make electricity, there is a strong environmental argument not to start using natural gas.