Fracking in America
7.98
Ratings: 7.98/10 from 64 users.
Energy independence. Two words that became very important in the U.S. politics. For years now, the United States has tried to lower its dependence on foreign oil for its energy needs.
With stability in the Middle East in question, drilling at home has never been more attractive, but it often comes at a cost.
Natural gas extraction - fracking - is being touted as the answer. The way fracking is taking place, there are questions being asked about the process and its implications.
People have been aware for decades that the rock formation known as the Marcellus Shale has natural gas trapped inside it. But it took professor Terry Engelder to figure out how much was there. And what he found shocked everyone.
02May2017 USA energy independence is definitely NOT important to energy companies, at all. Energy companies have been trying to EXPORT massive quantities of Natural Gas in the form of LNG, coal, and oil out the Pacific NW since about 2006 or so. Oil export efforts stopped when the price dropped below $50/bbl. Energy prices have come down in large part due to the efforts of those not wanting a pipeline or coal train running through their place, the local enviro groups, and those that don't want the area's air, land, and water turned into a dirty nasty unhealthy frack hole exit route to Asia, primarily China. Hats off to them all.
Unfortunately the Export attempts haven't stopped after a decade. Since LNG has been successfully stopped more than once, the Chinese have come in with an American sounding company name proposing a couple of massive Methanol (made from Natural Gas) export plants. Supposedly the base stock of olefins from which they will make plastic. If that is true then they will likely be selling the plastic back to us in the form of value added products. Meaning they get the lion's share of the profit from the raw material.
If any of that is to happen, shouldn't the usa be creating jobs here to make the plastic, the value added items, and keep the profits circulating here? I don't buy the cheap labor theory. It doesn't take that many people to run a factory these days, plus shipping the stuff to China and back isn't cheap.
If it is just another ruse to get the energy out the door, where is the supposed energy policy of "energy independence"? Shouldn't we be saving this energy for a rainy day when we may need it? Beyond the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, that is not how this country works. It goes to the highest bidder, just like govt. Even though they "could" expand the Strategic Reserve to other areas. The original mission statement of the DOE was energy independence. No longer their mission. Was a joke from the start since Alaska oil was exported all through the OPEC embargo and shortages in the lower 48 states at the gas station around 1977-78.
It just demonstrates billions in taxes that could be saved by getting rid of govt agencies we don't need and don't serve US: Dept. of Energy being the relevant one to this discussion. Drain the ocean sized swamp, Please!
Fully agree with those who realize fracking jeopardizes drinking water, despite the lunacy of the govt who claims it is too deep to affect our water. Their analysis presupposes that ALL shale formations are deeper than ALL our water sources. Two problems: Gas can and does rise. And if a gas pocket or a shale formation containing gas is right at a pristine water source, is the company who paid for the lease going to say no, were not going to touch that one? That would be the right thing to do but a miracle a person would get disappointed in wishing for.
And where is this wonderous govt, protector of all, when you need them to enact such rules to protect your water? They are out chirping with the crickets and cannot hear you. Matters not which party is running the show. It is just for show.
The Central message of this documentary is stop fracking in the eastern United States. There are more negative results from Fracking such as environmental effects and health defects in people, then the positive result of getting fuel. I found this documentary effective because it made the audience empathize for the people with fracking operations on their land. The director clearly communicated his message to the audience throughout the documentary, through the use of his own voice, the use of facts and information, and the voices of others. The filmmaker ended the documentary with a call to action, leaving us with the responsibility to fix this problem. Especially at the end of the documentary, the director highlighted issues such as a lack of legislation, this was an issue that needs to be explored further. I would definitely recommend this documentary if you are interested in environmental issues that involve oil and the controversial oil industry. A possible new title could be, The Effects of Fracking In The Eastern United States. As it only highlighted fracking in that area and its effects on the population.
The only reason fracking has slowed is the profit margin isn't there with the Arabs dropping their prices. I have a little saying, "Don't fraq with my water". I MEAN IT.
they left out that hydro oil water and sand is detonated by a explosive to force that oil into the rock at the bottom of the drill hole
I agree with all the opinions here regarding the multi dangers of "Fracking" upon mankind,animals and our planet.(sigh) Having said that... Most folks understand that this whole energy issue is due to greed period. However, most folks don't realize that clean FREE energy has been around since Nikola Tesla! (Perhaps even before Tesla's discovery!) The good news is that
Dr. Steven Greer is soon to release a new documentary film called: "SIRIUS"
via the internet. Dr. Greer's documentary film will prove (beyond a shadow of a doubt to all) that CLEAN-FREE-ENERGY has been around for ages!
The reason this documentary can ONLY be released via the internet is because NO mass media dare air such a shocking "Truth-Bomb" of knowledge to the public! This video was created "For-The-People" and paid for "By-The-People" in order to spread this knowledge worldwide!
BTW - The "SIRIUS" film was to have been released December 2012 but was not. I'm thinking the release date will be sometime in early 2013? I'm sure most of us can sort out the various reasons as to "WHY" Dr. Greer has not offered the public a 'specific' air date as of yet. Until then...we wait and watch for the release! ?
A lot of pointing the fingers going on in here. The problem is humans themselves are exploiters. And morality does play in our reasoning of how we exploit. Theres a hundred dollar bill on the ground, you decide somebody might have dropped it and will be back for it, so you put a rock on it, and walk away. The next guy comes along and its his lucky day. The truth is we're all not alike, we're similar, but far from the same. In that argument, if a bunch of us said its not worth the damage it's doing, so we won't consume it. The next guy is going to come along and say hell I'll sell this, you only live once right? The reality of fossil and nuclear fuel is they are both finite. The only true way to solve our problems with these fuels is to run out of them. And with one problem gone, a new massive one will open up. Keep in mind conventional oil peaked in 2006. The only thing keeping us progressing is non conventional oil. And it's not going to keep up pace with conventional on the decline forever. Total oil will be on the decline shortly, and I somehow guess that even environmentalist will sing the tune of we need to pump it. How am I ever going to get to work and pay for that flat screen I needed? And who wants to watch TV in a cold house?
These are legions of idiots that will not be happy until we are all living in a one room log cabin with a candle for both heat and light. South Africa does not buy one gallon of oil off any country,it cleanly makes all of its nations gasoline from coal. We have a 200-300 year supply of coal in this country.It can and is being used every day to heat our homes.Over 50% of the electricity in this country is generated by coal.What hurts is when power companies are allowed to run old plants. The fact that some countries like China don't care about air pollution does not help.The life expectancy in some villages there is 42 yrs. because of nearby plants that pollute.Gripeing about something is Americas past time. If you want something to gripe about ...what about the death of the middle class in America? Our generation is the first that will be poorer than our parents or grand parents...Stabbing our industries in the back will not help that.
I still believe that if the wells are properly lined and verified by independent inspectors, then fracking is safe.
But if natural gas is a stop-gap for cabon enrgy, then I don't see any move by government or energy agencies in planning for the end of natural gas.
However, the electric energy agencies seem to be ahead in the game.
The USA must be stopped from destroying the world. The USA can't crap on the world with out it striking back
usa you will pay!!!
We already are
If the flaming taps are not their fault and they've proved it's safe, why the need to get exemption from the Clean Water Act? The smoking gun?
Would be good to follow the money behind the banks and companies paying for the drilling and then buying up the wells once they hit shale gas. The money from Canada, Britain, Australia, Norway, China needs to be outed here. They are selling out our country so it becomes like an African country, a net exporter of natural resources with very few real jobs on at the extraction and hauling part. Nothing else will come of it. That is what global capital has done to Australia to gut their industries and unions. That is what global capital has in mind here. They've already got Corbett. The money pulling the strings from abroad that will get all the profits from here needs outing soon.
Aljazerra does the best documentries these days. As far as bias, why would they? They don't worry about selling soap flakes, or cans of soap or other crap that America buys mindlessly. The question I have is, if there sub par work didn't ruin those peoples water what did? Republicans once again put profits over people, how many will die before they wake up. At the minimum they should supply them with water forever it takes. It is the right thing to do.
They do have an interest in keeping petrodollars flowing to the mideast, no? Oh yes, let's get partisan too. It's all the Republican's fault! Way to go, drone.
It's both parties fault
They are owned by the royal family of Qatar for god's sake!
wow kinda biased for aljazeera
Seriously, such a shame about that guy who nearly lost is farm after the BANKS CRASHED THE SYSTEM, driving down the price of his milk. But along came Halliburton (or one of its cronies) and saved his farm with a fracking lease. Phew! Every little boy in America will soon want a big red Halliburton truck for xmas, and a red cloaked HAL super hero toy that speaks: "I'm Your Pal Hal". Wait a minute? Wasn't HAL the name of that psychotic computer in 2001...? Perfect.
[getting my Michael Moore freak on...]
If that american gorilla-in-the-playground can be subdued into frack-crapping in their OWN back yard for the next TWENTY YEARS :-0 I say let nature run its course with them. It'll be SOME relief to the world at least, to have the gorilla take its eye off the 'ball' in its pursuit of energy.
Where's my sympathy? Meet the Frackers [27mins]* as seen on RT recently reveals how easy it's becoming to massage the money into americans to convince them to frack where they sleep, their own backyards...their neighbours...and their drinking water. Yeee-haa!
What about the environment? Don't Panic! Think about it...all that devastation? Haliburton and friends can create some new clean-up companies and charge the taxpayers millions (i.e. get the lease money back) for the contracts! That's economic growth folks and jobs and...and...the American Dream!
...Except sadly, South Africa (amongst others) has seen this and wants to do it too, using the same denials and drool to drill.
But that's ok, cause those new eco-clean-up corporation contracts can spread around the world cleaning up the mess with the U.S.A leading the way and showing the world how to do it - our saviours once again. God Bless You America!
* Find it on YouTube to save my post having to be approved. If there's a way to post a link here without needing approval, I'm all ears.
I can't believe this is happening in America. Are we really a democracy, or is it that the more money you have the more you can rape the land and screw your neighbors.
Sadly Dan, I think the answer to your question is obvious and becomes ever more clear with the passage of time.
following the footsteps of Machine... one more suicidal keg in a clock of greed!
wow, tax free profits borne on the backs of a poisoned populace. this is the face of libertarianism. all the more shocking is that al jazeera is the information source that we have to rely on to bring it to light. i wonder what song those politicians would sing if they had to rely on that flammable water for drinking and bathing?
Within your comment, lies the answer to problems like this. All politicians that support or bypass laws and allow this kind of thing to happen should be made to live right in the middle of it. This requirement should go for ALL CEO's of these companies and investers as well. They can buy these people's property and bulldoze the houses to build mansions with taxpayer money even. There would be no fracking or no nuclear plants if they were all living within 10 miles.
It will never happen though because our politicians in the US don't even have to follow the laws they pass for us.
The planet is dying. I knew things were really bad but when the media was kept out of the Gulf Oil Spill, I realized I might actually see the end in my lifetime. The media wasn't kept out but stayed out willingly. If I want witty banter I go to US sites. If I want a clue what is really happening I go to Al Jazeera, RT and other foriegn news outlets.
The Bush family bought 100,000 acre ranch in Parguay, right over the Guarani Aquifer. Added bonus: Paraguay has no extradiction treaty. Before anyone comes back with Obama did this and that, SKNB was right, it's both parties. Anyone that doesn't see that is blind.