Out of interest, if we burn it now or burn it tomorrow it is still a finite resource, so the only difference is the time scale in burning it, so won't the carbon footprint surely be about the same, just spread out over a longer period?
Perhaps we should also look at other oil based products and their effect, I blame the widespread effect of plastic bags in the seas etc on the culture that was built up, why buy a plastic bag to put your rubbish in? You are by buying plastic bin bags buying items to not only throw away, but in doing so setting up a mindset that it is acceptable to do so. Hence the. Knock on effect.