[OneLoneClone]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'A')ndrew N. Liveris, the chief executive of Dow Chemical, insists that Americans are facing the worst energy crisis in their history. They just don't know it yet.

"American consumers worry about oil and the price of gasoline," he said. "They should worry that there may not be enough natural gas to heat and cool their homes."

Chemical companies, which use gas as an ingredient as well as fuel, are not as oblivious. And Mr. Liveris, who is in line to be next year's chairman of the American Chemistry Council, has set himself up as his industry's public face on the issue. He has already appeared before both the House and the Senate, decrying American policies that encourage the use of gas even as they restrict the search for new gas sources.

Mr. Liveris says that restoring balance to the gas supply is crucial for the American economy. Following are excerpts from a conversation in which he explained why.

Q. Running Dow, the country's biggest chemical company, must be a full-time job. How can you justify spending so much time campaigning for better natural gas policies?

[advancedatheist]

Liveris wants Congress to declare a "national emergency" (his exact words) regarding the natural gas supply. I look forward to the Hubbert deniers' efforts to try to discredit this corporate CEO. Like Matthew Simmons, Liveris belong to America's ruling class, and you can't compare him with the stereotype of the impecunious kooks and losers who crank out blogs about the energy crisis in their parents' basements.

[frankthetank]

I just got my first gas bill...

A crisis indeed!

[chris-h]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('advancedatheist', 'L')iveris wants Congress to declare a "national emergency" (his exact words) regarding the natural gas supply.

[jsb1969]

I'm in the Washington DC area and there has been a number of television advertisments by American Chemistry, a trade association representing US Chem companies. On the commercials I have seen they present plastics and chemical companies role in making them. Why are they doing that now? influence somehow by PO?

http://americanchemistry.com/s_acc/index.asp

[Shadizar]

The CEO of Dow Chemical has been saying this for some time. I am wondering if he has not already decided to leave the shores of the U.S. for greener pastures.

It would partly explain the low demand for Nat Gas currently. I have a feeling the chemical companies along the Gulf Coast have already bailed out and decided not to rebuild...

-Shadizar

[FoxV]

I've noticed this winter several commercials estolling the virtues of Natural Gas heating (Something I haven't seen since the oil spike in the 80's)

The latest one was a direct attack against Heat pumps.

Its seems that those with a vested interest in Fossil fuels are drawing some lines in the sand

[Leanan]

I've seen a ton of energy ads this year. The natural gas ones, which are paid for by the American Petroleum Institute. Pro-coal ads, paid for by the coal industry. Pro-nuclear ads, courtesy of the Nuclear Energy Institute. And of course, GM's "go yellow" ethanol ads.