Can natural gas help tackle global warming?

This winter, the United States reached a striking milestone. Carbon-dioxide emissions from the energy sector sank to their lowest levels in 20 years. At a glance, the country appears to be making major progress in tackling climate change. And many analysts give credit to the recent flood of cheap natural gas, which is shoving aside coal as America’s top source of electricity.


 

Can natural gas help tackle global warming? A primer.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2012/08/20/can-natural-gas-really-help-tackle-global-warming-heres-everything-you-need-to-know/

40 Seafloor Gas Seeps Found Off US East Coast

 

"A research cruise has discovered 40 previously unknown gas seeps on the seafloor off the U.S. East Coast. The plumes of gas are almost certainly methane, also known as natural gas, according to government scientists.

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas due to its ability to absorb heat, but the released gas is not likely to reach the ocean surface in significant quantities and affect the climate,"

 "Methane seeps are important to find and study since they involve the transfer of carbon from the ground to the atmosphere, which is important for getting an accurate picture of climate change in terms of how much gas is emitted naturally and how much is emitted by humans"

 http://news.yahoo.com/40-seafloor-gas-seeps-found-off-us-east-150335791.html;_ylt=A2KJ3CYVSOdQCH8AGojQtDMD



If we were to capture methane from natural seeps in the ocean would that help to balance human carbon emissions with regards to possible global warming effects?