Yesterday afternoon, Joe Biden's handlers in the EPA announced a new plan to reduce the methane emissions that are created whenever the energy industry drills deep underground to plunder natural resources for profit.
The proposal, which goes into effect in 2022, is part of an international effort to reduce methane emissions worldwide by 30% by 2030.
Since the plan would be good for the environment, combat the rise in global temperatures, and maybe even keep cities along coastlines hospitable for humans until a new technology comes along to destroy them, Oklahoma's Oil Overlords are adamantly against it.
Here are the details via KOKH:
On Tuesday the Biden Administration announced plans to introduce stronger regulations on oil and gas wells.
The regulations, proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), aim to reduce methane emissions...
Potential restrictions on the industry has Brook Simmons, the President of the Petroleum Alliance of Oklahoma, concerned.
“We expect them to be the most stringent emissions requirements on the planet," Simmons said. "These type of rules are just a further burden on Oklahoma oil and gas producers and everyone across the entire sector.”
Know what else is a burden on Oklahoma oil and gas producers??? The end of human civilization as we know it thanks to rising global temperatures caused by global warming!
I know Simmons is like most right-wing Oklahoma meteorologists and probably thinks global warming is a myth designed by tree-hugging scientists who want to irrationally bring down the energy industry, but maybe he should check out the Global Warming Consequences page over at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. It's one of about a million credible, scientific sources of information on the Internet that documents all the shitty things that will take place on this planet if nothing is done to combat global warming.
But who cares about all that. The regulations that may help slow the rise in global temperatures are bad for Oklahoma, says the guy who gets paid by Oil Overlords to help protect their keep.
Simmons fears for the effects the proposed regulations could have on the Oklahoma economy.
“We are the largest private-sector contributor to Oklahoma’s economy," Simmons said. "We’re responsible for 1/3 of state GDP, 1 out of every 4 jobs, $1 out of every $3 in earned income, $1 out of every $4 on public spending of roads, bridges, schools and other state priorities. So anytime you have Oklahoma being disadvantaged versus its peer states, it’s going to be a problem.”
Wait a second. If every state has to follow these same regulations, how exactly is Oklahoma being disadvantaged? Obviously, the crack news team at KOKH asked this important follow-up question, and didn't continue to give an industry insider more air time to spew his unchecked propaganda and misinformation...
Not only could the regulations impact producers, but also consumers.
“They’re going to face really high prices at the pump, and home heating and electricity," Simmons said.
Uhm, I thought high energy prices were good for the Oklahoma economy? And if energy companies can simply pass along the costs of regulations to consumers, why do Oklahoma energy companies even care? They make money either way!
Well, probably because they're nothing more than a right-wing corporate cartel that wants to control the world and doesn't like being told what to do by a "liberal" like Joe Biden.
Anyway, you can read all this propaganda over at KOKH. If you want a slightly more balanced view, you can check out The Oklahoman of all places. They produced real journalism, and instead of giving an industry hack exclusive air time to spout off unchecked propaganda, they talked to some industry folks who don't think the regulations are a big deal:
David Little, president of Kingery Energy and president of the Oklahoma Energy Producers Alliance, said his organization is following the lead of the National Stripper Wells Association, which generally supports the proposal because it doesn't appear it will affect owners of most marginal wells.
Plus, most operators of marginal producing wells aim to make sure their wells and associated equipment don't leak anyway, because leaks cost them money, Little said.
"I think the overall thought is that it is more a positive than it is a negative."
Okay, so it's only 100 words or so, but The Oklahoman is actually producing semi-balanced coverage of the Oklahoma energy industry. What's next? Regular Jim Traber making a good point regarding the OKC Thunder?
