The Star Tribune reported earlier this month that "$1.4 million a day in natural gas goes up in smoke" (Business, April 8). That makes me wonder how many $10 light bulbs I have to buy to offset this wasted valuable resource. Propane was a critical resource that was in short supply during this record-setting winter (natural gas can be converted into propane gas). Some oil rigs are being powered directly by the natural gas that would otherwise go to waste through flaring. North Dakota, on the other hand, allows flaring for a year without penalty. According to the article, "economic realities force [oil companies] to start producing oil … before infrastructure is in place [to capture the natural gas]."
One LED light bulb saves $540 over its life span. Looks like the use of one LED light bulb for 10,000 hours will offset 30 seconds of flare.
