This time of year family gatherings are held in millions of homes around the world. Most of us eat too much, some of us party too much and many of us resolve to clean up our act in the coming year. Few of us actually do.

Even oilfield veterans hope to find some good news under their holiday trees. In the United States, the oft promised and long-awaited energy legislation was delayed until this year, and although it has carefully avoided such political minefields as ANWR and the offshore moratoria areas, it offers a glimmer of hope for domestic producers. Even consumers will benefit, although with all the political rhetoric in the air very few will be able to figure out how.

Consumers can be powerful and pervasive forces. In most nations, consumers are also voters, and they are one of the few groups that can almost always get the attention of elected representatives. So why don't they pester the politicos for quick passage of enabling legislation that facilitates exploration and production of cheap, abundant energy resources, meaning hydrocarbons? The answer is that the general public, particularly in the United States, equates oil companies with obscene profits, widespread pollution and shady backroom deals, thanks to an unfriendly press and popular television shows such as "Dallas." The oil industry has done precious little to alter this perception. Facts notwithstanding, people figure, "Energy legislation subsidizes polluters."

It's way past time we, as an industry, took steps to educate and inform the public to at least question some of the fear, uncertainty and doubt that is spread by anti industry extremists. Accordingly, my New Year's message to you comes thanks to my friend Dr. Benton Baugh, who happened to be visiting Shell's Auger production facility recently in the Gulf of Mexico. Benton was walking across a grating and happened to look down. Fortunately he had his camera and took the photograph you see at the end of this column - a huge school of fish swimming around and underneath the platform. This awesome display of nature's beauty seen at hundreds of offshore rigs and platforms is a common sight for those of us in the oil business - hardly an image one would associate with pollution. Unfortunately, the public has rarely, if ever, seen this side of our industry.

So take a look at one very large, happy family of fish as they gather around the Christmas tree. And make it your New Year's resolution to show this picture to a friend, a neighbor, or send it to your legislative representative. It's a holiday scene worth remembering.

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