If you were a politician from a state that is experiencing epic forest fires. To attend a rally promoting fossil fuels during such a time would be a bit odd, but that is what some Colorado politicians did. As wildfires reck western states, a handful of democratic and republican politicians attend a “Energy Proud” event in Denver, that was held by energy companies. One went as far as to say that oil and gas workers are “revolutionaries.” I shit you not, fucking revolutionaries.
Former Interior Department Secretary and former Colorado Attorney General Gale Norton spoke before the crowd, saying that oil and gas employees were “revolutionaries,” because we use to rely on imports, but after 9/11, Colorado was “changing the destiny of America.”
“Today we no longer are hostage to foreign countries controlling our oil. Today we control our own destiny. You should truly be energy proud.”
Liberty CEO Chris Wright talked about the pride he felt for what fossil fuels have done for humanity:
“The modern world is not possible without oil and gas. Together, with dramatic advances in human liberty, the mass production of oil and gas has improved the human condition in ways that would have been simply unimaginable to our ancestors. I felt tremendous pride today as our industry stood together to celebrate our contributions to not only Colorado but humankind.”
I had no idea that fossil fuels helped advance liberty, but what about Saudi Arabia? Yes it is true that fossil fuels gives us things that we otherwise would not have, but that ignores the environmental catastrophes that are coming our way. In Cape Coral, Florida, it’s beaches and watered is being overrun with toxic algae blooms. According to the EPA, exposure to these algae blooms can cause “abdominal pain, headaches, sore throat, vomiting and nausea, dry cough, diarrhea, blistering around the mouth, and pneumonia.” Meanwhile, scientists are being to wonder if cyanobacteria has a direct link to the increase of ALS and Alzheimer’s.
President of the Colorado Oil and Gas Association said, “this is a fantastic opportunity for our industry to gather to support each other and to show Colorado how important the work that these people do every single day to the lives of all of us in Colorado.” Others in Colorado communities would disagree with that sentiment.
In Greeley, Colorado, Extraction Oil and Gas was awarded permits to drill wells within a few hundred feet from a school named Frontier Academy. Frontier Academy’s students are mostly white, and middle class. Parents upset by the project organized against it, and Extraction Oil and Gas changed its plans, and look to move its operations to the other side of Greenly, a population of over 100,000 people. The new location was close to another school, this one compromising more minority children. Along with the locations being close to schools, Extraction Oil and Gas has a safety record that has people of the Greeley community uncomfortable over the situation. 15 miles west of Greeley, an Extraction Oil and Has drill site caught on fire, and took firefighters nearly 24 hours to put the fire out.
Communities fight against drilling so close to home, and the threat of pollution and it’s health risks, and so anti-fracking groups tried to get Initiative 97 passed, which would change how close oil and gas wells could be to homes and schools. A well could be no closer than a thousand feet from a home, and 2,500 feet for schools. The proposal of Initiative 97, is why the “Energy Proud” rally was held. Dan Haley, President of the Colorado and Gas Association said “the work that these folks do allows us to live wonderful lives in the 21st century.”
Former Obama administration Interior Secretary, and former Colorado Attorney General Ken Salazar, said Initiative 97 was “unconstitutional” and “way off the map.” I guess making life healthier for children at school is “way off the map.”
State Rep. James Coleman (D-Denver) began to say his “we’ve got more things in common than not” cliches, by stating:
“There are over 200,000 people in Colorado that work in the energy industry, many of which are here today. And I’m proud to say that when I think about my grandfather, and when I see all of you, I don’t see blue, I don’t see red, I see hard-working Americans, hard-working Coloradans.” Walker Stapelton, Colorado Treasurer and Republican candidate for governor, agreed with James Coleman, saying “it’s really important” for all to not see this as “a partisan issue.”
Can’t agree on climate change and environmental degradation, whether it’s algae blooms occurring more and more in different places, western states like Colorado having “devastating” wildfires, and a poisoned environment and people. At least in this culture, we can be bipartisan on exacerbating the situation…
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