Freedom Gas
Surely this is a joke. Surely. Someone had to have thought it would be funny to do this.
U.S. Undersecretary of Energy Mark W. Menezes explains, “Increasing export capacity from the Freeport LNG project is critical to spreading freedom gas throughout the world by giving America’s allies a diverse and affordable source of clean energy.”
I am pleased that the Department of Energy is doing what it can to promote an efficient regulatory system that allows for molecules of U.S. freedom to be exported to the world,” said Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy Steven Winberg, who signed the export order and was also in attendance at the Clean Energy Ministerial.
This comes from a Department of Energy press release that talks about natural gas exports. This apparently comes from Rick Perry himself:
At a press briefing in Brussels, he explained that the move would help European nations diversify their energy supply away from Russia, the region’s major supplier of gas. “The United States is again delivering a form of freedom to the European continent,” he said. “And rather than in the form of young American soldiers, it’s in the form of liquefied natural gas.” Afterward, a cheeky reporter from EURACTIV asked whether “freedom gas” would be a correct way to describe the new fuel shipments. “I think you may be correct in your observation,” an apparently inspired Perry responded.
That suggests this is all a big joke, right? Rick Perry is just having some fun. That’s the most likely story.
Unfortunately, I worry some people don’t see it that way. I think this will get some people riled up and opposed to it because of the name and that will intern cause people to double down on using it. That they’ll then really start to think selling natural gas has something to do with actual freedom and that it’s a patriotic thing to do. And that being opposed to it in any way means you’re evil and un-American.
Can’t we all agree it’s kind of funny, never use it again, and then have an actual discussion about whether we should be exporting and burning natural gas all over the planet?
