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Show Farm Durcou urges (lorGgulafioEi, free morici The current natural gas shortage in the VS. has been brought about in the short range by unusually cold weather in the Midwest and East, sustained for most of the winter. In long range, the crisis has been caused by Congressional action often motivated by the unrealistic demands of environmentalists. environmental-ists. For example, many industrialists have switched from the use of coal for their power to natural gas in order to meet environmental environ-mental regulations. Much of the exploration and development develop-ment of natural gas and other energy sources has been halted by environmentalists' clamor to preserve natural wilderness areas that contain con-tain the energy sources. Other Congressional action ac-tion is also to blame. Recent Re-cent repeal of the oil depletion de-pletion allowance will have a serious effect on exploration at a time when we desperately desperat-ely need additional oil. The refusal of Congress, for many years, to give us price controls on natural gas is greatly to blame for this nation's na-tion's very serious condition condi-tion right now, with homes, schools and factories without heating fuel. And Congress Is threatening the oil Industry In-dustry with the crippling concept con-cept of divestiture. Not only does the current peak demand on natural gas threaten agriculture's future fertilizer supply, since a basic building block of nitrogen nitro-gen fertilizers is natural gas. The shortage has also shut down factories that make essential production items for farmers and ranchers. President Carther's call for temporary deregulation of natural gas prices is only a stopgap measure. Permanent Perma-nent deregulation is vital to the nation's energy and agricultural agri-cultural future. Since nearly near-ly 40 percent of the energy used by the nation's food and fiber industry comes from natural gas, farmers and ranchers have a big stake in this controversy. Farm Bureau policy, set less than a month ago at the American Farm Bureau convention, con-vention, says that "Prices of enregy supplies should be allowed al-lowed to move freely in response re-sponse to supply and demand . . . This will encourage both the development of adequate ad-equate energy supplies and their distribution on an equatable basis. |