A Note from Marita

By Marita Noon

For years the anti-fossil fuel movement has been waging a war against, first, coal--and, more recently, natural gas and oil. It manifests itself through the global warming crusade that targeted coal; the attempts to ban fracking by planting fear, uncertainty, and doubt over a technology that people don't understand; and capitalizing on dramatic accidents, like the Exxon Valdez and the BP Macondo explosion, to limit access to the abundant off-shore resources.

The efforts have had a level of success-in part because they had a head start and partly because the energy industry went along with them. Remember BP's "Beyond Petroleum" campaign? Likewise, politicians have acquiesced and many in positions of power now favor environment over economy. Think Keystone pipeline. The goal has become "green," rather than growth. The movement has pushed regulation after regulation and made it harder and more expensive to extract natural resources of any kind.

Industry is loath to attack. After all, it has to work with the local, state, and federal regulators and legislators who have the ability to pose punitive actions for minute, unintentional infractions. Most attempts to defend are decried as "big oil" or "dirty coal"--which automatically discounts them. 

April 13, Wichita, TX Southwest Section of the American Association of Petroleum Engineers

Yes, each faction of the energy industry has its trade associations and the different segments often battle with one another for position. But a third party is more powerful and can be more proactive. This is where CARE comes in.

The Citizens' Alliance for Responsible Energy is the only organization to focus on the complete energy sector--oil, gas, coal, uranium/nuclear, wind, solar, transportation fuels, and electricity generation and distribution--with a free-market, limited-government approach. We uniquely address the economics of energy politics and what it means to the average American. By using current news hooks, CARE has developed an unparalleled messaging distribution channel that keeps energy in the public discussion in a thoughtful, consistent, and deliberate way. We are willing to take risks and say things that an individual company couldn't, or wouldn't, do--and as our work has become more high-profile, the anti-fossil fuel movement has ratcheted up its attacks.

April 16, Taft, CA Taft College Foundation Petroleum Partners Round-table Luncheon

At IHS CERAWeek in April, Richard Kinder, Kinder Morgan CEO, told attendees "As an industry, we haven't done a good enough job of explaining how important what we do really is to the economy and to the well-being of North America and people around the world. Sometimes, I think people think we're manufacturing cigarettes or something instead of what we think is very important work ... people want to flip the switch and turn the lights on and heat their house, but they don't think about the massive infrastructure and billions of dollars needed to get to that point."

Kinder is correct. It is because people don't think about energy beyond flipping the switch and filling up their cars that the anti-fossil fuel movement has been able to sell them on the fairy tale that the world can be powered on butterflies, rainbows, and pixie dust. And, this is why the work of CARE is so valuable. As we head into the important 2016 election, it is imperative, for the sake of the industries and the salvation of the country, that whoever becomes the 45th president understands energy and a public that knows how important energy is will be essential for that end.

May 14, Ajijic Mexico Lakeside Conservative Group

Thousands of members allow us to achieve these goals! However, CARE, a 501(C)3, is always in need of additional funding. We need not just one big check, but funding from many different disciplines, and not just from companies, but from individuals as well--which is why your membership is so vital. Please visit the CARE website to become a member (it is only $20 a year) or renew your membership. If you know of others who might be interested in membership or in a position to support our work, please tell them about CARE, or give me names and contact information and I'll be happy to follow up.

Individual memberships are important so that when CARE is attacked for our positions--as we have been and will be, we are accurate when we claim to be an "alliance" of "citizens."

In a recent op-ed the Albuquerque Journal published in response to one from CARE, the author stated that CARE is "neither an alliance of citizens nor does it appear to take responsibility for anything other than its fossil fuel funders' interests." To bolster our messaging, a diverse base of support and membership is important. In the case of the Albuquerque Journal op-ed, we were able to send an email to our distribution list of nearly 5000 people asking them to comment on the website. An interesting online conversation ensued.

But funding isn't the only need. To truly educate the public, our message needs to get to as broad a base as possible. Here's how we reach people and how you can help expand our message.

Weekly news-based, energy-themed commentary

Each week I write a column that is published throughout the internet on sites like Breitbart.com, RedState.com, and , more recently, AmericanSpectator.com, and in many newspapers with a combined reach of hundreds of thousands of people. That same column is also sent out to this distribution list of nearly 5000 people-though with additional promotion, it could just as easily be sent to thousands more! As a subscriber, I ask you to forward the weekly commentary to everyone you know.

Media opportunities

Because the weekly commentary is news-based, its topic is perfect for talk radio. Every week, I host an online radio program: America's Voice for Energy--which allows me to expand on the the commentary's theme by interviewing experts on the topic. I also co-host a weekly energy show on KRFE in Lubbock and am featured on CSC Talk Radio on the first Tuesday of Each month. Additionally, I do dozens of radio interviews-both local and nationally syndicated. These opportunities come, in part, because we hire a professional to cultivate them. Due to limited funding, we are grateful the PR firm we use is willing to work with us and promote our messaging as time permits, rather than as a priority. On rare occasions, when funding allows a specific message to get an extra push, the volume of interviews has increased dramatically. Additional funding would provide CARE with front-burner status and a higher profile for the messaging.

Speaking engagements

As a cheerleader for energy, I speak to a variety of industry, political, and civic group audiences--generally based on the topic of each week's column (though I adjust the emphasis to be appropriate for each). Some of my recent opportunities include speaking for the Southwest Section of the American Association of Petroleum Engineers in Wichita Falls, TX, the Taft College Foundation Petroleum Partners Round-table Luncheon in Taft, CA, the Libertarian Party of New Mexico's Annual Meeting, a group of conservatives expats in Ajijic, Mexico, the Lubbock Area Republican Women, and the Southwest Association of Lease Title Analysts in Durango, Colorado. This Summer, I am looking forward to speaking for the Independent Petroleum Association of New Mexico and the National Association of Royalty Owners Appalachia Annual Member Conference. Also upcoming is the Midland Natural Gas Society and the Midland Rotary Club--for which a sponsor is needed to cover travel expenses of about $100. With the wealth of material available, I never give the same speech twice. My presentations are perfect for a luncheon, or as the opening or banquet program in a more technically focused meeting. We are currently booking into fall 2015 but have many openings available in the upcoming months.

 

CARE has a great track record and is actively spreading the "Energy Makes America Great!" message. But we could reach so many more people! Will you help us? In 2014, our average contribution was about $500, so everything helps (an online "donate" option is available on both the CARE and Energy Makes America Great websites and checks can be mailed to: PO Box 52103, Albuquerque, NM 87181)! But you can also encourage others to sign up for our email distribution list (a "subscribe" link is on the right hand side, toward the bottom, of the Energy Makes America Great website). You can also forward the weekly column we send out every Monday.

Regardless of what level of support you can provide, your involvement is invaluable.

Thank you for being part of our "alliance" of "citizens!"

Your voice for energy,

Marita Noon

Executive Director