Natural gas and the future of energy Until recently, natural gas was considered the dirty brother of oil. Natural gas was often stranded and left underexploited, often wasting it. Natural gas was often considered “unusable” and “worthless” compared to oil. But now that oil is running out, a new light is shining on natural gas. Today, natural gas is highly valued as a clean fossil fuel, particularly for electricity generation in industrialized countries. “Proven global gas reserves stand at 5,501 TcM with approximately 60 years of production at current utilization rates, compared to 40 years for oil,” writes Pradeep Kurup. According to the latest figures, people could consume more gas than oil by 2030. According to Kurup, "this means even greater incremental growth in gas supply and transportation than the industry has seen until now." 'now, with almost 25% of all natural gas produced. We are now crossing an international border. » Natural gas is created from the anaerobic decomposition of organic materials. You can find it in oil and natural gas fields and in most swampy or marshy areas. Natural gas is also generated by animals during digestion. Natural gas is primarily composed of methane, which happens to be the lightest of the hydrocarbon molecules. The other components of natural gas are made up of heavier hydrocarbon molecules such as ethane, butane and propane. Hydrogen sulfide and mercury are common contaminants that must be removed before most uses. Natural gas is emerging as the most important energy source for the future because it has many uses and is found almost everywhere. The abundant supply of natural gas makes it an excellent candidate to replace oil as the dominant energy source. Many people who panicked when news of peak oil surfaced can now find solace in natural gas. Most people probably don't realize that natural gas can not only be used to replace gasoline, but it can also be used to generate electricity through the use of gas and steam turbines. A special “combined cycle mode” was developed by combining gas and steam turbines. In addition to all the facts I've already posted, natural gas also burns cleaner and therefore more efficiently than other fossil fuels, creating... middle of paper ......maybe it is just a question of money like everything else. Maybe the government is hoarding oil and just saying there is an oil crisis. Lots of questions, but not many answers. Works cited1. Energy for the future - The hydrogen and fuel cell industry presents its project. European Commission. 03/17/05 http://www.innovations-report.com/html/reports/environment2. Swank, J. Grant Jr. Rice: India Leveling Up With America's Future Renewable Energy Powers. MitchNews.com. 03/28/05 http://www.michnews.com/artman/publish/article_7474.shtml3. Kurup, Pradeep. Why natural gas is the future of energy. Internet Times Network. 03/28/05 http://economytimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1062958.cms4. DaimlerChrysler website: http://www.daimlerchrysler.com/dccom/0,,0-5-7179-1-460443-1-0-0-0-0-0-8-7165-0-0 -0 -0-0-0-0,00.html5. Okoye, Sam Ejike. Cold fusion, an unlimited source of energy: myth or reality? Nigeria World. 03/27/05http://nigeriaworld.com/articles/2005/mar/271.html