I wonder if green radicals criticize the natural gas industry because they have no serious ideas of their own. It’s much easier to oppose than propose.
On the other hand, President Obama finally realized the inevitable and the obvious in his recent state of the union address. Touting his “all of the above” strategy, he advocates developing a variety of energy sources with shale gas at the center. Society needs a realistic energy plan that balances our energy and environmental needs. Natural gas is an obvious and inevitable part of the solution.
Credible environmental groups have been saying for years that natural gas will reduce emissions. The Suzuki Foundation and Pembina Institute published a report saying converting to natural gas can reduce emissions by 30%. As far as the science goes it’s obvious it’s obvious.
Natural gas has already been an incredible game changer for energy and the environment. Too successful for some natural gas companies who must take financial write downs and curtail production. Excess supply has caused prices to fall below the cost. The price of natural gas today is less than $20 per barrel in energy equivalent terms while oil trades above $100.
Consumers everywhere receive the benefit. Home heating bills are a fraction of what they were. In Quebec there are many examples of switching from government subsidized electricity to unsubsidized natural gas both for better quality heat and remarkably, a lower price too.
Industry also benefits. Quebec based aluminum producers, chemical producers, and many others pay two-thirds less for critical energy than competitors in Europe and Asia are forced to pay. They reduce their carbon footprint at the same time.
Economics made it inevitable.
The natural gas industry figured out how to reduce emissions by 30% and save government, homeowners and industry money at the same time. Maybe that’s why the radical greens are so vitriolic. They had absolutely nothing to do with the solution. It was their opponents, the oil and gas industry, that outdid them to find a realistic and affordable way to improve our global environment.