I attended the Energy Forum at Two Rivers Convention Center, an Expo put together “to reveal Colorado’s bright energy future.” At numerous booths I chatted with representatives of oil and gas companies, geothermal, solar and wind power companies, and specialists in reclamation, water purification, and green bactericides.

At 9:00 I sat with several hundred others to listen to the keynote speaker, Dr. Michael J. Economides, professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at the University of Houston and regarded as an expert on energy research and development. An interesting overview of the international politics of oil was presented.

He then implied that the alternative energy people with their displays in the next room were well-intentioned but misguided. A slide of an SUV was shown and he said that it didn’t matter how much gas we used in our vehicles because conservation would do so little to help the energy crisis. He said adjusting our thermostats at home to conserve energy did nothing to conserve oil so it was “stupid” to do it (yes, it doesn’t save oil — it conserves natural gas which mainly is provided by natural coal-fired power plants).

Dr. Economides also claimed that climate change had nothing to do with “anthropogenic” carbon emissions so we shouldn’t blame ourselves for it. I admire Dr. Economides’ knowledge of geopolitics but his total dismissal of conservation and lack of concern over human effects on climate change was very disturbing.

The subsequent speakers did address our carbon footprints and spoke of conservation as being critical to the future of the planet. Dr. Economides should stick to the topic he knows admirably well — geopolitics — and leave climate change to those with the backgrounds to substantiate their findings.

SARAH MACHATTON CRUM
Grand Junction

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