For decades, Henry E. Payne III of Charleston has been an advocate for West Virginia's ability to generate coal-fired electricity and send it to an energy-hungry nation.

The president of Payne Engineering Co. Inc. in Scott Depot understands that coal is the underpinning of the West Virginia economy and that its mining and use have served the state and its people well. But he realizes that political pressures are building against the burning of coal to produce energy. He recognizes the fear of global warming has motivated the movement against coal.

Payne, a Princeton University-trained engineer whose company makes high-technology silicon power controls, also believes the fear is unwarranted. So does S. Fred Singer, professor emeritus of environmental sciences at the University of Virginia and author with Dennis Avery of the 2007 book "Unstoppable Global Warming: Every 1,500 Years."

Payne invited Singer, who holds a Ph.D. in physics from Princeton University, to offer his views Sept. 25 in Charleston on climate change and its science. Payne called the program "The Politics of Climate Change: A Threat to West Virginia." The First Presbyterian Church of Charleston, Blackbird Technology Group of Indiana and BB&T also were sponsors.

Singer said scientific information does not support the idea that human activity -- including burning coal -- causes climate change.

He readily concedes that burning fossil fuels elevates the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and that carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas. But he says the earth is experiencing a warming trend that is occurring naturally.

Singer finds himself at odds will former Vice President Al Gore, who has preached his global-warming sermon for many years. While Singer has academic credentials as a scientist, Gore has a 2006 movie -- "An Inconvenient Truth" -- that warns that man's activities are leading to cataclysmic changes to the earth. It's fair to say that Gore's movie has changed the debate.

Singer isn't impressed.

He told his Charleston audience of about 70 that he spoke with Gore after seeing his slide presentation on climate change that was the basis for his 2006 film.

He said he told Gore, "I want to congratulate you on a ... technically excellent slide show. It is very, very well done. It had a lot of interesting material. And ... it's very, very persuasive to someone who doesn't know his science."

Singer said science shows the earth naturally experiences cooling and warming trends.

"What we're experiencing now is entirely natural, not manmade," he said. "It has nothing to do with carbon dioxide gas, greenhouse gases. It has nothing to do with the burning of fossil fuels, coal or gas.

"I want you to reflect on that. If indeed this is correct and it is natural, then it is unstoppable -- nothing you can do about it. Just enjoy it. Be glad it's not cooling."

He said two significant factors influence climate change -- solar activity and clouds -- and humans cannot control either one. He presented data from the analysis of stalagmites from a cave in Oman that show a correlation between solar activity thousands of years ago and a concurrent rise in temperatures.

Singer expressed bewilderment that politicians have seized Gore's theme and are moving toward policies that could affect the way the United States generates energy.

"Again, remember," he said. "If it's natural, there's not much we can do about it except enjoy it, adapt to it, relax. Certainly we shouldn't go off half-cocked and ruin our energy policy and make people poor."

Singer continued, "I should tell you now the most important aspect of all of this that we're doing has to do with energy. That is what is really important.

"That is what drives our economic engine. That is what produces our prosperity," Singer said. "We want low-cost energy, reliable low-cost energy because this is what improved the standard of living.

"This is why we are where we are. This is why we are so much better off than we were a hundred years ago. This is why the United States leads the world -- because we use more energy per capita than anybody else. It's that simple."

Singer responded to several written questions from the audience. Here's a sampling of his comments:

On higher levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere:

"You might argue that any change is bad. ... Some changes are good. In the case of carbon dioxide, it's probably good.

"Why do I say that? I'm not an agriculturist, but every agriculturalist knows that carbon dioxide is plant food. That's what plants live on. This means that more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is better for crops and for forestry. ...

"There actually is no harm from higher levels of carbon dioxide to humans or to animals. Plants benefit from it, and if plants benefit, then animals benefit, and we benefit."

On whether carbon sequestration, which would capture carbon dioxide emitted from power plants and store it, is a waste of money:

"The answer is yes. It's the worst idea to come down the pike. It's an absolutely crazy idea. It uses up about half of the electricity produced in electric plants if you actually could do it. Then you have to find a place to store the carbon, and then you hope it doesn't escape.

"It's a bad idea from the word go. It's probably the worst of all of them. Wind energy is pretty bad, but carbon sequestration is certainly the worst."

On how to resist implementing changes designed to control global warming:

"That is something that is up to all of us, and it's an important issue ... . What worries me is that too many people now are making money out of this global-warming business. I'm not talking about just my colleagues, the academics who are absorbing $1.7 billion a year ... .

"Look at the bureaucrats who are giving them money. They feel important because they think they are working on problems that could affect the world."

After his presentation, Singer said he does not feel alone in his efforts to promote a scientific evaluation of climate.

"There are people who are much more vocal than I am," he said. "My colleague at Virginia, Pat Michaels, he's much more vocal that I am."

But does he believe his message is having any effect? Are people listening?

"I will say this -- that everyone I talk to and give a presentation to comes away convinced. So the problem is how to either get it to people who are in a decision-making position or how to get it to a mass audience."

Dan Page is editor and publisher of The State Journal. His e-mail address is dpage@statejournal.com.

Payne Sees Promise in Sasol Coal-to-Liquid Manufacturing Plant

CHARLESTON -- Henry E. Payne III of Payne Engineering Co. Inc. believes West Virginia coal is an enormous asset with great economic potential for the people of the state.

During his company's colloquium Sept. 25, "The Politics of Climate Change: A Threat to West Virginia," Payne praised American Electric Power's ability to generate low-cost electricity with coal. He said government subsidies for renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power, cost nearly as much or more than the actual costs of coal-fired and nuclear electricity.

Payne, one of the founders of The State Journal, also noted that West Virginia's coal industry today has two principal markets -- power generation and steel manufacturing.

"However, it could have a market for electricity, oil, gasoline, jet fuel and diesel," he said.

He said no one in state government seemed aware until recently of Sasol, a South African company that has manufactured liquid fuels from coal for more than three decades. West Virginia, he said, could be home for a Sasol-style coal-to-liquid plant.

"The private markets should be able to handle a Sasol plant in this country for, say, 90,000 barrels of liquid fuel a day," Payne said. "West Virginia should be leading the effort to do that because we have coal mines and coal close to the surface all over this state."

Payne said he has seen a South African Sasol plant in operation. Sasol has developed a cadre of scientists and perfected its technologies, and any would-be U.S. competitors in coal-to-liquid development would find the South African enterprise to be a formidable rival, he said.

"It was disappointing to me that so many of our state government officials had never heard the word Sasol at this late date, and they were planning to use more government money for liquid coal. That's ridiculous."

He said he believes today's energy prices can lead to the capitalization of a coal-to-liquid manufacturing plant.

-- Dan Page