Marcellus Shale Protesters = Lobbyists For Mideast Oil Barons

 

And there they were, in all their glory, basking in the attention gained from protesting Marcellus Shale drilling. Sure, those who were angrily denouncing the gas industry during the Marcellus Shale Coalition Conference in Philadelphia got the attention of the local media. But by far, their biggest cheering section, the folks who were happily paying the closest attention, weren’t even in Pennsylvania.

They’re in the Middle East.

The leaders of those oil nations could not
be more thrilled to have such a passionate cadre of protesters, who do
everything in their power to ensure the United States remains bent over
the foreign oil barrel. As an added bonus, American petro dollars are
used to fund extremist anti-American programs in those very same Middle
Eastern nations, resulting in a new generation of well-funded
terrorists.

About the only thing missing is the Middle
Eastern oil barons not paying the protesters to be their registered
lobbyists, because that’s exactly what they are.

* * *
We are witnessing the greatest transfer of wealth in the history of
mankind as America needlessly sends trillions to China and the Middle
East. The standard of living in those countries continues to rise, as
does their global power, while the United States slowly devolves into a
second-world nation with—at least for now—a first-world military.

And here’s the part no one wants to admit
but is unequivocally true: It will never again be the way it was, and
the American way of life simply cannot improve until the people remove
their heads from their derrieres and demand that we utilize our own
domestic energy resources. Absent that, the demise is unstoppable.

A look at any port tells the story: Tankers
and freighters come to America fully laden, but leave U.S. shores
virtually empty. And the reason is simple. We make nothing. No nation
can survive, let alone prosper, if it abandons its manufacturing base.
But that is exactly what we did.

Of course, we will never be able to compete
with the lowest labor costs in the world. So the only way to offset that
is to have the lowest energy costs in the world. And more than any
nation on Earth, America can do that. How? By utilizing the greatest
concentration of energy resources on the planet—a level that dwarfs that
of any other nation.

There are vast—almost immeasurable—yet
untapped oil reserves off both coasts and in the Gulf of Mexico, in
Alaska (especially in the ANWR), under the Rocky Mountains, and in the
Bakken Formation in North Dakota. And that’s just for starters.

America has also been blessed with an
overabundance of natural gas, including the Marcellus Shale, which just
happens to be the second-largest gas deposit in the world. Ironically,
many of the gas protesters who describe themselves as
“environmentalists” (whatever that means) are opposing the cleanest fuel
available.

Natural gas produces virtually no emissions,
which not only is good for the environment, but its low price and
limitless supply are lessening use of more emission–producing fossil
fuels. It’s a no-brainer. And since it is less than half the price of
gasoline, the wider utilization of natural gas can power the economy in
an unprecedented way. As companies like UPS have realized, lower fuel
costs give them a competitive edge, and that means greater commerce and
more jobs.

And speaking of jobs, take a look at just
one glowing example right here in Pennsylvania of how natural gas can
get the economy moving again. Procter & Gamble has a substantial
manufacturing plant in the state, and as with any such facility, energy
costs are always one of the priciest budget items.

Upon discovering natural gas under that
plant, the company invested in several gas wells on the property—money
that was quickly recouped since their energy bill is now dramatically
less. Businesses in that situation can now take the millions in savings
and expand operations, hire more workers at good salaries, and keep
manufacturing doors open in America.

But that’s just the beginning. It’s all the
ancillary effects that result from gas that can jumpstart the economy:
Homes are built and bought (driving down foreclosures), restaurants
thrive, many small businesses no longer face closure, and untold new
businesses spring to life. Estimates are that 100,000 jobs have already
been created because of Pennsylvania’s (fledgling) gas industry, and
billions in tax revenue have filled municipal and state coffers.

And that is but a mere preview of what’s to come.

Yet the protesters would rather kill all
that off, content to keep the status quo of $4 gasoline, rising
inflation and a stagnant economy. Oh, and one more thing: Their actions
jeopardize the safety of every American by keeping the nation in a state
of begging, totally reliant on foreign oil. To say our national
security is weakened would be a gross understatement.

Here’s the bottom line. Two plus two always
equals four, whether or not one chooses to believe that. Likewise, black
gold and natural gas are the lifeblood of every economy, and that
unequivocally will not change for scores of decades, if ever. Those
countries with petroleum resources thrive, while those reliant on rival
nations for their energy needs are always at a substantial disadvantage.
It is survival of the fittest, and no amount of fairy-tale fluff will
change that fact.

The most ignorant aspect of Shale protesters
is that they only harp on the “horrors” of natural gas and oil (most of
which are easily debunked myths, but that’s another column), yet offer
no alternatives—at least none grounded in the real world. If they ever
do, they will be taken seriously. But until then, they will be laughed
off as extremists trying to achieve a relevance that is simply
unattainable.

Solar? Wind? Hydro? Love them all. And we
should continue to utilize them so long as they are cost efficient. But
they do not make even the smallest dent in meeting America’s energy
needs. Attempts to argue the contrary are folly.

Nuclear is a different ballgame, and we
should be doubling our plants, but in the wake of Japan’s (avoidable)
crisis, combined with zero political leadership from either party in
Washington, that’s a pipe dream.

Which brings us back to gas. If not gas and
oil, then what? More reliance from hostile foreign nations while our
global competitors gain yet another foothold on America? That’s not a
solution. It’s a death sentence.

Natural gas, and the industry itself, are
not perfect, but they are most certainly the best option we have to keep
our communities safe and prosperous, and our people’s dignity intact.
Criticism for the sake of criticism—with no viable solutions—is simply
irresponsible.

Of course, so is cooking one’s meal with
propane stoves while protesting a natural gas conference—as some
hypocritical protesters actually did. And that says it all.

It’s high time the United States of America
stops using Chinese as its official language and asking permission from
Middle Eastern oil barons.

So come up with something better and get your fracking facts straight, or go pass gas somewhere else.