Energy Secretary Rick Perry scolded climate change activists at an oil conference on Monday by telling them that the oil industry saves lives.

The two activists heckled Perry while he was delivering remarks in Washington, D.C., to the National Petroleum Council, including one who said, "people's lives are on the line," alluding to the impact of fossil fuels on the Earth's temperature. Many scientists blame the burning of fossil fuels for heating the planet with potentially disastrous consequences.

But Perry said the oil industry is helping, not hurting.

"This industry is leading the world in affecting the climate and affecting the climate in a positive way," Perry said. "I'm proud to be a part of this industry. You want to talk about saving lives, that's what we are doing."

"It upsets me when some guy stands up and says, ‘What are you going to do, you're killing people,'" Perry added, according to Bloomberg. "No sir. You want to kill people, you take energy away from them and you see how those north African countries will be treated."

It was not clear why Perry cited North Africa, also known as the Maghreb, comprising of Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. Perry may have been alluding to the fact that Morocco has hosted a number of United Nations climate conferences aimed at setting in motion the 2015 Paris climate change agreement, which President Trump chose to withdraw from on June 1.

The fossil fuel industry often describes the need for energy in developing countries to underscore the continued need for coal and oil resources through the middle of the century. It often points to Africa as a growing source of that demand for energy, along with India and Asia.

The activists were escorted out of the meeting that was being held at a hotel.