In front of a luncheon crowd at the annual Colorado Oil and Gas Association Natural Gas Strategy

Conference meeting in Denver in early July, former U.S. senator Tim Wirth dressed down the natural gas industry.

Wirth was passionate in his speech, and exhorted the natural gas industry to go 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.

Wirth told the audience that global warming was undeniable and pervasive. He has no doubts about the science and believes the world is heading toward a potential environmental disaster. It’s in everyone’s interest to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, he said.

Natural gas should be the bridge to the future, said Wirth, but the industry was a no-show during the recent debate in the House of Representatives on the Waxman-Markey energy bill. He told the audience that other groups, including coal producers, utilities, automotive manufacturers and solar- and wind-energy providers, wrangled special provisions or managed to shape terms of various programs 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.”

According to Wirth, it’s the industry’s duty to advocate for increased use of natural gas, and the time is short. Senate hearings on more energy legislation will be held this fall. A bill to promote natural gas use for vehicles has been introduced.

Comments