The Colorado Oil and Gas Association (COGA) held their 20th Annual Rocky Mountain Natural Gas Strategy Conference and Investment Forum at the Denver Convention Center last week. It was well attended primarily by industry representatives who came to listen to the technical papers, forums and discussions relating to oil, gas and energy concerns in general.

Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper spoke before a large crowd, as did T. Boone Pickens about his already much publicized proposal to reduce our dependence on foreign oil with a massive wind farm energy plan. The Rocky Mountain News had a story about T. Boone and his plan on Friday. It’s too bad the News did not relate other topics and discussions that were brought up such as the fact that a state legislator, who was not named by the forum panelist, was invited to attend the conference refused, lamenting the fact that his Xcel bill was climbing and the price of gas is $4 a gallon and did not want to “come to our party”.

Such blatant ignorance is a big problem that our elected officials are going to have to overcome if there is to be a real change in energy policy.

America is at a crisis stage right now and everyone is pointing fingers. The American people and our elected officials must stop chastising “Big Oil” and talking about their obscene profits and start to understand that oil companies are not to blame for the price they are paying at the pump. It is simply supply and demand. The fact is that China and India are using a lot more oil and gas now, and that demand will only grow.

Yes, there is a limited supply of oil and gas, and believe it or not, the oil industry is all for alternative energy because the demand for oil is always going to be there.

Alternative energy is not going to put the industry out of business. It is not the enemy. Ignorance is.

We will continue to need oil and gas to help develop alternative fuels, acting as a bridge towards the development of alternative energies. This needs to be done through private industry. Having government getting more involved in mandates and imposing even more severe restrictions on exploration is only going to hurt. Government must step out of the way, otherwise there will be more gridlock in any kind of energy development and prices will only continue to rise. As a geologist with over 20 years of experience in the oil and gas industry, I can tell story after story about extreme restrictions that have hindered exploration efforts.

For example, if a rusted tin can that is deemed to be over 50 years old is cataloged in an exploration area, it is considered an archeological site and must therefore be avoided by all activities to oil companies within a certain buffer zone, however the average Joe who happens to come across it, can step on it, kick it, throw it into the trash heap or do whatever he darn well pleases to it.

Many of us in the oil business are geologists who love science and the outdoors. We have families, hike, ride bikes, and have a lot of the same concerns as everyone else. There are over 100,000 employed in the oil and gas industry in Colorado and most take offense to the constant disparaging remarks regarding “Big Oil” (is there such a thing as “Small or Medium Oil”?).

I hope the Rocky Mountain News will take the lead and start to do more stories on real energy issues including gaining perspective on “our side” of the story. Education is the key to real, sustainable growth that is not only going to make our planet cleaner, but also make for sound economic stability.

Shelley FitzMaurice is a resident of Denver.