Underground Construction - October 2021 - 6

EDITOR'S LOG
Robert Carpenter | Editor-in-Chief
Be Careful What You Ask For
Whatever happened to common sense?
If something is working, why toss it away
like two-week old lasagna?
Natural gas prices have more than
tripled in 2021, climbing above $5.10 per
BTU at press time. Crude oil, after slipping
into negative territory last year, has since
rebounded to the $75-per-barrel range.
Most prognosticators are estimating that
prices will further strengthen and increase
throughout 2022. It's a remarkable turnaround
for an industry vilified by much of
the country - and indeed, the world.
Several factors have contributed to the
dramatic turnaround of oil and gas pricing.
Economies are steadily returning to normal
as COVID fears and issues continue to
evaporate. Combine that with projections for
a harsh winter, and demand for gas and oil
is suddenly reinforced - this after a period
of political upheaval that has included heavy
pressure to shift to alternative power sources.
When energy prices dipped to zero early
in the pandemic, certain politicians were
celebrating the death of an industry. They
were predicting the final termination of an
industry they now deplore. It's the very same
industry that had made modern society and
our amazing quality of life possible; an industry
that employs scores of thousands around
the world with great jobs and benefits.
And it's an industry that has facilitated
all kinds of blessings we take for granted
6 OCTOBER 2021 | UCONonline.com
every time we simply turn on the lights in
the living room; cook dinner with food from
the refrigerator; drive our car to the store or
a friend's house; and visit relatives halfway
around the world within just a few hours.
And lest we forget all the benefits from oil
and gas derivatives that have elevated our
world to new levels thanks to medicines,
plastics, and other benefits far too long to
list here - all the result of petrochemicals.
Oil, coal and gas have become the bane
of every environmental and climate zealot
across the world. Those industries remain
under attack by politicians and a public
blissfully unaware its own ignorance, as
demonstrated by the vitriol they spew.
Yes, most will readily agree the time has
come to move away from our dependence
upon fossil fuels, especially coal. Even those
in the oil and gas industry acknowledge it's
time to shift directions and actively seek
other options. But we must do so in a strategic
and pragmatic manner. To do anything
less would be a recipe for economic disaster
and a fall from the lofty levels from which
we celebrate our lives today.
Moving away from coal (the dirtiest fuel)
immediately, and fuel oil and similar such
energy sources quickly, is an easy interim
answer. We now know that sources can
easily be replaced by natural gas. It burns
immensely cleaner while providing energy
in a safe, efficient manner. The reduction
in carbon emissions is immediate. We gain
much and lose less by switching to gas. Time
and time again, gas has proven that it is a
reliable, efficient, environmentally friendly
fuel capable of meeting all our energy needs
until similar quantities and results can be
found with an alternative source(s). But as of
today, that scenario largely remains a dream.
Still, knowing the limitations of the
alternative fuel industry, as it stands
today, hasn't prevented certain cities and
states around the country from seeking to
politicize the natural gas solution. They've
declared gas must go and placed a ban on
modern applications that require it as a
fuel source - including cooking and heating
homes. They want all appliances and heating/cooling
for homes and business to use
" clean " electric power. They demand new
building construction must be all-electric.
These miscreants seek the extremists'
approval of their knee-jerk actions. The
local politicians and activists fail to consider
the impacts of their actions. Electricity is
not captured from lightening in the sky.
It is created at power plants fueled historically
by coal. By continuing the trend of
switching to natural gas, carbon emissions
fall tremendously.
Another example is that if all trucks (just
trucks, not cars) in the United States were
to immediately switch to using liquified
natural gas for fuel, air pollution would
be almost totally eliminated in a matter
of months. Sadly, practical solutions such
as this are completely ignored since it still
involves a carbon-based fuel.
Those in the current oil and gas industries
are not bad people. These businesses,
as a rule, are excellent corporate citizens.
The irony is that the power generation
industry in America knows that the time
for change has arrived. Companies are
actively engaging in further developing
alternative fuel sources, while spending
billions seeking new and improved sources
of energy. I've read both private and government
reports that conclude the solution
to replacing current carbon fuel challenges
hasn't been developed - or perhaps even
discovered - yet. But it will be soon.
For now, the world has discovered just
how much it needs oil and gas - especially
at reasonable prices. We will find better
energy solutions with no carbon emissions.
But even now, we have answers to dramatically
reduce carbon emissions. The changes
can't - and won't - happen overnight,
unless we want to surrender the legacy that
our parents, grandparents and ancestors
sacrificed so much to provide.
Time to change, yes. Time to abandon
gas and oil, no. *
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Underground Construction - October 2021

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