Across the country, Keep it In The Ground activists are striking Friday as part of a global climate change campaign.

Here in Denver, activists will march through the city’s downtown with the support of 350.org, Colorado Rising, Extinction Rebellion, and WildEarth Guardians – all groups that have advocated for extreme measures to immediately eliminate oil and natural gas production.

Pouring a cold glass of water on to the effort was Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet during his Climate Town Hall performance in Washington, D.C. on Thursday. Bennet made clear to be truly progressive, you have to be about actually about making progress, explaining that natural gas has been a key fuel in addressing climate change and should be part of the energy mix.

Sen Bennet: There are places where we can have [fracking], but we should make it easier to set up renewables on public lands. If it is extracted properly, #naturalgas does have a role to play in the transition to renewables. #ClimateTownHall https://t.co/3xy0vKSg35

— Energy In Depth (@EnergyInDepth) September 19, 2019

By the numbers, the oil and natural gas industry has made significant progress in reducing emissions even while production has increased exponentially. That’s why leading Democrats like Bennet, Barack Obama, and John Hickenlooper have long supported natural gas.

The Colorado Oil & Gas Association touted the progress the industry has made in the state in reducing emissions:

“The production and use of natural gas, particularly in the electric production sector as a result of the shale gas revolution, is a key element in achieving these lower CO2 levels which, in turn, benefit the efforts to combat climate change. As a result, in 2016, the United States emitted the lowest rate of CO2 in the past 20 years. Additional technology developments at the wellhead have aided in reduced methane emissions from the production of natural gas, as well.”

Given the industry’s record for reducing its emission, especially when compared to the demands being made by the KIITG movement, it’s unsurprising that most of Colorado’s energy workers will be unlikely to participate in Friday’s protest to achieve goals that experts say aren’t realistic.

As the activists themselves state:

“It’s all connected. Ecological degradation, systemic racism, economic inequality, social inequity – these issues are all deeply interlinked, and connected by the same root causes – colonialism, extractivism, and an economy built for profit and corporation — all at the expense of our health, safety & democracy. Through solidarity movement building, we strengthen the Colorado movement for climate justice while joining in a principled cross-movement struggle for liberation and self-governance.”

Ahead of the strike, these activists have released a set of demands and will make oft repeated claims that are completely out-of-touch with reality. Here are a few examples:

Demand: “Transform our economy to 100 percent clean, renewable energy by 2030 and phase out all fossil fuel extraction through a just and equitable transition, creating millions of good jobs.”

Reality: By no objective measure is this timeline realistic. Data from the Energy Information Administration show that renewables only make up a little more than 10 percent of the daily power generation mix across the country, showing the steep climb these sources would have to make in just 10 years. Moving solely to renewables in this time-frame leaves massive questions about the grid unanswered.

EIA also projects that by 2050, petroleum and natural gas combined will make up more than 70% of fuel consumption.

In Colorado, Xcel Energy, the state’s largest utility announced its goal last year to move to 100 percent zero-emissions electricity generation by 2050 but acknowledged that even that timeline is too ambitious. Months later, the company says it’ll continue to use natural gas to meet its emissions goals.

Demand: “A halt to all leasing and permitting for fossil fuel extraction, processing and infrastructure projects immediately – including an end to fracking, coal, and oil refineries.”

Reality: That same set of EIA data shows that natural gas production makes up 40 percent of the daily power generation mix and that it’s the fuel that’s most used during times of high demand. An immediate end to production would means millions of American families and businesses wouldn’t have the power they need to keep the lights on and their homes and buildings warm.

We already know what happens when states restrict natural gas. In New York and New England, the blocking of new natural gas pipelines has led to the use of dirtier alternatives that have increased emissions and air pollution while leading to more gas imports from Russia.

The United States has continues to increase its energy security by producing an abundance of domestic oil and natural gas. It would be foolish to throw that away and put our economic power in the hands of foreign countries.

Demand: “Divestment of all public funds from fossil fuel development and extraction.”

Reality: Divestment is a political move that hurts retirees by undermining their pensions, while doing nothing to solve climate challenges. As Bill Gates recently said:

“Divestment, to date, probably has reduced about zero tonnes of emissions. It’s not like you’ve capital-starved [the] people making steel and gasoline. I don’t know the mechanism of action where divestment [keeps] emissions [from] going up every year. I’m just too damn numeric.”

Claim: Oil and natural gas production is leading to increased emissions.

Reality: Thanks to the shale revolution and increased innovation, natural gas has been a major driver in reducing U.S. emissions. According to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency  data, emissions declined 14.7 percent from 2005 to 2016, even while natural production increased 50 percent and oil production increased 21 percent.

In fact, cleaner-burning natural gas replacing traditional fuels has helped the United States lead the world in reducing carbon emissions.

Conclusion

Activists will probably turn out in big numbers in Denver on Friday, but crowd size does not mean their positions are correct or even realistic. While claims of a rapid transition to renewable energy and an immediate ban on oil and natural gas may play well on posters and in the media, the truth is that strategy will only lead to higher emissions, economic downfall, and empowering our foreign adversaries.