Natural Gas Producers Get Yelled At
It was for our own good, but we didn’t like it. In front of a crowded luncheon at the Colorado Oil and Gas Association’s meeting in Denver this week, former U.S. Senator Tim Wirth dressed down the natural gas industry.
Wirth was passionate in his speech, exhorting the natural-gas industry to get organized and get to Washington and lobby for its interests. The former Colorado senator now serves as president of the nonprofit United Nations Foundation, a charity created by Ted Turner in 1998.
Essentially, Wirth told the audience that global warming was undeniable and it was pervasive. He has no doubts about the science. He also believes that the world is heading toward potential disaster, and it’s in everyone’s interest to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions.
Natural gas should be the bridge to the future, said Wirth, but the industry was completely missing from the recent debate in the House of Representatives on the Waxman-Markey energy bill. Other groups, including coal producers, utilities, automotive manufacturers and solar and wind-energy providers, wangled special provisions or shaped terms of various programs contained in the proposed legislation.
“Every major industry was deeply engaged except for the natural-gas industry,” he said. “The natural-gas industry needs to get organized. It can lead the country toward a better economic and environmental future.”
And, according to Wirth, it’s our duty to advocate for increased use of natural gas, and we have precious little time to do that. Senate hearings on the energy legislation will be held within the next two months, so there’s no time to waste.
To see a video clip on Wirth’s speech, click here
–Peggy Williams, Senior Exploration Editor, Oil and Gas Investor
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