SAY NO TO NATURAL GAS EXPORTERS

SAY NO TO EXPORT OF NATURAL GAS!

Gas companies want to exploit our newly abundant natural gas, sell it to China at high prices, and make themselves richer than Croesus--once again. They would leave the physical mess from "fracking" the shale deposits in our back yards, the polluted water, flammable water taps, warming climate and high unemployment for us to deal with. All this so we can buy trinkets from Walmart made in China, where employment remains high---all with our natural gas. Does that sound fair or wise to you?

Most Americans are still trying to digest the idea of "fracking" (See previous blog: " Fracking?"). Some of us have mastered the idea and now argue over the safety of the process, and whether we should or should not permit it in our own state. While the majority of us are thus occupied, others in industry and government have moved on. These business moguls have concluded fracking is a "done deal" and are now arguing over HOW they are going to "divvy up" our new-found wealth and abundant gas reserves for their benefit. Some favor exporting the product for quick sale...others more wisely would protect it, and use it as our primary, cheap domestic fuel to renew our faltering industrial base. If we do not get "up to speed" on this issue, the proverbial horse would have slunk out of corral, and then we closed the gate! The decisions being made now are critical while the majority of us are still deciding if the process is safe.

In a New York TImes opinion piece entitled: "Foreseeing Trouble in Exporting Natural Gas" by Cliff Krauss and Nelson Schwartz, August 15, 2013, the authors explain why Dow Chemical Corporation's chief CEO Andrew Liveris has made himself into an outcast among his fellow business leaders with his stand against exporting gas.

Andrew Liveris is one of the few leaders of industry here in the USA who is AGAINST exporting the USA's newly found reserves of natural gas, and instead favors using the cheap fuel to power our own US industries and energize a massive renewal of manufacturing and industry at home.

His angry business detractors call Mr. Liveris a "hypocrite" and worse because they see his proposal as self-serving (Dow Chemical uses a great deal of natural gas), but more importantly it is a blow against the first commandment of big business--- "free markets". The authors state:"Mr. Liveris says that he also favors free markets, but that energy, like defense and food, requires special care to protect the national interest. Exporting natural gas is fine, he says, but not at the price of importing it back in the form of goods made with cheap gas elsewhere." See op cit NYT August 15, 2013. This author agrees wholeheartedly.

That is, if we were to tap OUR natural gas and keep the vast majority of it to encourage our own heavy industries again we could reinvigorate our whole economy. Such a plan would tend to keep natural gas prices low here in the USA and permit a rebirth of industries which are heavy consumers of energy, such as chemical companies, metal extraction firms, manufacturing firms, etc. The dream of many in the middle class is that we would return to an America which actually builds things and has a flourishing industrial base. Cheap and abundant natural gas could stimulate such growth, bring back industries and increase demand for labor. Such generalized growth of the economy would would mean a surge in our GDP and a rebirth of jobs for middle class workers...now suffering from unemployment and low wages.

On the other hand the--"make a fast buck"--specialists in the oil companies would rather exploit OUR gas and export it to gas-poor regions and states such as the EU, China and elsewhere which would pay higher prices and generate more quick profits for producers. Those nations importing our natural gas would use it to fuel THEIR industries and employ THEIR citizenry to produce manufactured goods, and then we would have the "opportunity" to buy back these manufactured products--produced with energy pumped up from OUR back yards. Thus we would not only have to suffer the pain and indignity of environmental degradation, air and water pollution, but lose out on the return of the American dream as well.

If we are going to exploit the gas and suffer for it, let us at least see some improvement in our employment and economic plight! Say NO to exporting natural gas! Kudos to CEO Liveris for taking his principled and sensible stand.

Get the picture?

rjk