The Fayetteville Observer
by Bo Biggs

After I read Mac Legerton’s July 8 column, “The Untold Story of Natural Gas,” I’ll admit I was confused. With all due respect to a writer I consider a good friend — despite our left-right political difference — the author says natural gas is “unnaturally confiscated from the earth.” That’s a really interesting way of looking at things. It gives me a new perspective when I go into the grocery store, look in the cooler and see the products that were “naturally” confiscated and wrapped in shrink wrap.

It’s interesting because just how does the author think just about anything we use or rely on in the modern world is gathered? What about the elements that went into making the computer he wrote his column on? How did we get those? He says he wants more solar panels. Great. But how exactly does he think the materials used to make solar panels are gained? He wants more wind turbines. Again, great. But you know those turbines are made with steel and copper. Hmmm — what about those lithium batteries in the new electric cars? How does he propose we get those materials “naturally”?

Let’s be honest. We’re all a lot better off because we’re able to responsibly get resources from our earth and put them to use in improving our daily lives. Natural gas is no different. It’s a domestic energy resource that produces half the carbon emissions of coal, and it comes from right here in the United States. It’s American energy for American consumers, and when the Atlantic Coast Pipeline is finally built, eastern North Carolina will have more of this cleaner-burning energy to help us keep our bills down and help businesses create the new, good paying jobs we need. Remember my good friends of the doomsday energy scenarios: Y’all helped close down Lumberton’s coal fired Weatherspoon Plant that employed many people with good paying jobs, health and retirement benefits by smothering it with EPA regs, so my power company had to switch to natural gas to keep my lights on.

We reap what we sow don’t we?

Now I’ve got a call to make on my iPhone. Don’t worry, I won’t tell Mac where all of the toxic components in that device came from. It might spur a new movement to confiscate cellphones. They got my darn incandescent lightbulbs the last time.

Bo Biggs is a Lumberton businessman and a supporter and advocate for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline.

Read the full opinion editorial in The Fayetteville Observer