One of my concerns these days is the single focus on MONEY. It seems that there are increasing numbers of people who will stop at nothing to amass wealth.
While the effects are being debated, I have not seen a valid argument in favor of Fracking that will justify what I consider to be inevitable destruction to our earth. I shall predict that within my lifetime, we shall see irreversible, dramatic and costly effects to our health and our water.
I am not particularly concerned that the resulting natural gas is causing a work stoppage in the coal industry but that is one more effect.
Do you consider yourself informed? What are your concerns or why do you lack concerns for Fracking? Would you want it in Maryland? Should it be allowed anywhere?
Even if, and that's a huge if, fracking affects water, water purification technology is becoming exponentially cheaper and easier. I'd like to see you explain in detail exactly what problems you expect to see "in your lifetime." I predict you're wrong. The world has seen doomsayers like you for centuries. The one thing they all have in common is that they've always been wrong.
What is your solution? Nuclear? Drilling off our coasts? Drilling in Alaska? Importing from our "Friends" in the middle east? Wait, let me guess...... Solar &wind? People like you complain about we're we get our energy, and have no viable alternatives to offer. Solar and Wind are far less efficient than traditional fossil fuels. In addition, they require expensive and environmentally unfriendly storage systems because during times of peak demand the sun may not be shining and the wind may not be blowing. Perhaps we should all drive electric cars to lessen the demand for oil? Sounds good right? The only problem is that 42% of electricity generated in the US is from coal. 23% is from natural gas, 20% is from nuclear, and 7% is from hydro electric. The grand total from renewables? Less than 4%. My point is, rather than bloviating about what we should not be doing, why not provide some viable alternative.
Man needs sources of energy, and as byproducts money will be made and destruction will ensue. "Collateral damage" if you will. But nothing like what will occur when the petrol runs out.
http://www.commonwealthfoundation.org/policyblog/detail/gasland-debunked http://www.energyindepth.org/debunking-gasland/ Heck, even your Liberal Bible knows junk reporting when they see it: http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2011/02/24/24greenwire-groundtruthing-academy-award-nominee-gasland-33228.html?pagewanted=all On a totally different topic, I just found out the Sasquatch really does exist!!! I just watched a video sighting, so it must be true: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dJge36vIX8
I am out of town. When I return, I'll check out a couple of your links. If Gasland is not valid, I'll accept it. I do not pretend yet to be able to debate the value vs the danger of Fracking. That is not the context I presented. I'll round up fact and support later before I take action. My intent was to gather comments and intelligent discussion without sarcasm. Setting off explosives of that magnitude that far down will have to affect our aquifer in some situations. It is not reasonable to believe otherwise. It is those beliefs that motivate me to want to learn the truth. And, absent of complete unbiased data, there is too much risk to allow fracking in Maryland or anywhere else. I am not sure why you comment here at all. You surely so seem to be a very angry person everytime I post something. Perhaps you should begin a blog to vent yourself on the topics that anger you.
I comment here to counter your extreme ignorance.
While Richard does get a little heavy-handed with his sarcasm, his point still holds true that you have a very bad habit of making predictions or posting items as facts without any real backing for your arguments. You did that here and then you tried to back away from it. You write, "That is not the context I presented. I'll round up fact and support later before I take action." That is interesting since your first post included this statement: "I shall predict that within my lifetime, we shall see irreversible, dramatic and costly effects to our health and our water." Your mind was already made up as of your first post. You have nagging habit of making statements like that, while admitting that you really never did your thorough research. Your focus on Richard's sarcasm is merely an attempt to obfuscate the fact that you really didn't do your homework before making such a bold statement. It has been my observation though that this is par for the course with you: post a statement with very little factual backing, then find ways to pick apart people who point out your lack of actual research. "It is those beliefs that motivate me to want to learn the truth." It has also been noticed by many people on here that your only interest in truth is that which supports your particular bias. If you're not yet ready to debate the issue, I invite you to next time do your homework before making a post about it.
I consider explosions miles down into the earth that are strong enough to release gas to be strong enough to divert and/or contaminate the aquifer. No I don't yet have data to present but neither do I have data to the contrary. What is wrong with a discussion and the submittal of data either way by those who know so I CAN better form an informed opinion. Simply logging on and going with "leftwing" "stupid idea" "crap propaganda" etc does not contribute to dialogue but rather shuts it down. Yes, absolutely, my mind is made up. I am convinced that fracking is irreversible destruction. But that doesn't mean that I am not open to reading information to the contrary. There are posts here from people with their mind made up with not information but still no logic. I am not really trying to convince you of anything. I really don't care whether you are in favor of fracking or not. I am trying to learn about fracking. I am interested in credible information either way even though I do have an opinion. I have seen tests in favor of fracking but they were all from entities paid by those who profit from fracking. And vice versa.
I did not call you any names. I asked a series of questions. You can't talk about fracking in a vaccume. You need to discuss it in the wider context of meeting our energy needs. If you can present a reasonable argument on how this country can meet its energy demands without a heavy reliance on fossil fuels, I seriously would like to hear.
Natural Gas is a non-renewable resource with known and unknown side effects on health and on the environment. The Marcellus Shale formation was projected to provide gas through fracking for 45 years. I understand that with the current rate of permits and if a market increases, that could be revised to 20 years. I am sure those numbers are debatable.
In Germany today as much as 35% of their electricity is from renewable resources. (An interesting bit of trivia is that approx 20% of our home energy is to heat water. That is one of the easiest needs to cut down via solar and via new heater replacements.)
What also caused you to believe that I have no knowledge on my subjects? Would it not be very arrogant to post information and to suggest that is all there is on a subject? I suggest that it is a popular mistake today to presume that the speaker does not know his subject just because he asked a question. It is often a tactic that a presenter will create a vacuum by asking that question and into it rush headlong all those... well... let's say .. who are less thoughtful.
Here is an event coming up where you can ask questions and get specific answers http://www.chesapeakeclimate.org/index.php?option=com_jevents&task=icalrepeat.detail&evid=231&Itemid=48&year=2013&month=01&day=09&title=frack-water-taste-test-in-annapolis&uid=600713e5d00ebabc59d2794725923345 Facts about Fracking you can read would be at www.marcellusprotest.org. They make some eye opening statements you can have in writing and research if you like. And finally, what impressed me the most was the families who have least, lived on or next to the Fracking site land. They put a booklet together with their stories. That booklet is available Steel Valley Printers, 107 East 8th Ave, Homestead, PA 15120. There is a charge for the 43 page book. I bought one and consider it a wealth of information to help learn more about the effects of Fracking.
Man, if you could only practice what you preach. Are you naive enough to believe that the only interests that matter are financial interests? Do you think the families putting out their own brand of propaganda don't have vested interests, even if they're not financial? http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324024004578173211776311982.html?mod=djemEditorialPage_h The thing that bugs me the most about your posts is how you prance around pretending to be interested in truth, no matter where it takes you, all the while wearing blinders that lead you in only one direction...left. You're a leftist. Just admit it and be done with your feigned open-mindedness (if I'm wrong, and you really are open to non-leftist ideas, please provide citations where you started a dialog on the left and later changed to a non-left belief). You can't be all things to all people, but at least we can have an honest debate.
So you're confirming that incentives DO matter?
http://blog.independent.org/2011/04/19/truth-and-freedom-in-economic-analysis-and-economic-policy-making/