AGA Goes to Bat for Natural Gas UsersThe folks over at Wonk Room put together a pretty contentious piece attacking U.S. business leaders. We thought we’d respond by telling them a little bit about who we are and why America needs natural gas. See our response here
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Natural gas is much cheaper and cleaner than electricity. Or gasoline. I see huge market opportunities for producers and consumers. Natural gas heat pumps are hugely efficient, and their widespread use would shave off both the heating peak season and the A/C season for electric utilities. The reduction of electric generating capacity would be gigantic, half or more. It could revolutionize the electric generation system, including the transmission system.
Natural gas vehicles would allow cars and trucks to use natural gas, 25% cleaner than gasoline, at 1/3 to 1/2 the cost.
Going to bat for the consumer could be greatly enhanced by pioneering natural gas heat pump A/C units, and natural gas fuel tank refill applicances for home and business. Think big.
I’m not sure whether trade association lobbyists are U.S. business leaders — but if we accept that they are, all I did was point out that the industry representatives overwhelmingly support the Republican Party and conservative politicians who are now not merely opposing action to halt the devastation of global climate change but even deny the existence of the threat. Several of the industry trade organizations who are in negotiations — not the American Gas Association, thankfully — are attempting to reverse the scientific greenhouse gas endangerment finding in what would be nuisance lawsuits if the future of human civilization were not at stake. As a member organization, AGA bears responsibility for the work of the Alliance for Energy and Economic Growth to sow fear and doubt about climate reform based on flawed studies of its economic impact.
AGA’s president and CEO, David N. Parker, is a strong Republican contributor, supporting George W. Bush, the Republican National Committee, and the National Republican Congressional Committee, among others. That said, he deserves praise for breaking with the prevailing winds of the Republican Party and opening reminding Americans that climate change still matters, even if he is unclear on the scientific fact that manmade pollution is the cause of this civilizational threat. As he is a member of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Association Committee of 100, I sincerely hope that he is working to educate the business alliance that the threat of manmade global warming is not a hoax cooked up by a global conspiracy of the world’s scientists, but a dangerous and unavoidable fact that requires immediate and concerted action by all.