"Citizens who are concerned that fracking -- pumping a mixture of water, sand, and small amounts of chemicals into deep wells to break open natural gas and oil supplies -- should be happy with the findings of a new study just released at the American Association for the Advancement of Science conference today."

http://reason.com/blog/2012/02/17/fracking-doesnt-harm-drinking-wat...

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The full report can be found here - http://www.energy.utexas.edu/images/ei_shale_gas_regulation120215.pdf

Its not exactly a full vindication of the industry, but does a decent job of highlighting where real risks are.  

I read the study and I think it addresses the facts versus fantasy very well. As I was reading, I was thinking that those determined opponents will not like the results of this study and do what they tend to do when science conflicts with their agenda. They cover their ears and say: la la la, I can't hear you.

The UT website has a lot of other materials on the issue.  I agree, it's not "full vindication" at all, but it moves the issue forward.  Check out their full website below ...

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http://energy.utexas.edu/index.php?option=com_content&view=arti...

The problem is not caused deep underground. The problem is; the Fracking solution leaks out close to the surface due to poor concreting on the Casing. The Fracking process requires high pressures and there is really no cheap and easy way to test the quality of the concrete so the testing is either not done or not carefully monitored. The report does not address the problem if it vindicates the process now being used. The company doing the Fracking know it will be years before the pollution has hurt anyone and the have a battery of Lawyers. The report talks all around the issue without any real solutions. Unless and until the Industry can guarantee NO pollution we must stop the process by laws that protect the protect our wells first and serve the Gas industry last. Water pollution is going on all over the country. The Report is the usual Fluff put out by the Industry. A lot of feel good words with no meaning only broad generalities. It take a lot of money for anyone to beat the Gas Industry in court and few individuals can do it. Peer review by the Industry is at best a joke.

hfb, with an 1800' string of surface casing and 11,500 ' string of intermediate casing within the surface casing, please explain to me again how the fracking solution leaks out "close to the surface"?  I understood the statement of "fact", I just missed out on the explanation.  Which cement job do you contend is done poorly, the surface string or the intermediate string?

Sesport, though improvements through better science is an ongoing and wonderful thing,  your attachment has nothing to do with fracking endangering shallow aquirfers.   it appears to be a sales pice.....  somebody trying to sell a new product or process.

the cognitive dissonance continues to be deafening.  just because you "do not wish to have drilling halted" doesn't mean ed capntax markey doesn't see executive branch diktat for fracking on federal lands as the camel's nose under the tent, neatly circumventing congress yet again and paving the way for blanket regulation of the industry. 

this amounts to the usual political ploy to frame fossil fuel advocates and republicans in general as uncaring about "the environment," when the sad truth is democrats like markey place some intangible notion of "environmental responsiblity" far, far above the well-being of very tangible human beings.  i'll bet these envirowhackos are just tickled pink about gasoline prices going through the roof, isn't this what they have wanted all along?

sadly, i think no amount of concessions and compromise on energy issues will be enough until flyover country is reduced to a pre-industrial revolution standard of living.  and depending on who you talk to, far fewer people on the planet in general, though they're never very clear about how to arrive at this new utopia.

did you even read the article, much less bothering to understand what that ruling meant?

you say you realize it nothing to do with hydrofracking itself, but think it has everything to do with the type of individuals that "might" be hydrofracking?  same old sesport;  circular reasoning is still circular. 

thanks for permission to continue pointing out how morally relativistic positions such as that one you just regurgitated are intellectually bankrupt and blatantly hypocritical, especially in the face of your stated belief that "drilling shouldn't be stopped."  perhaps just slowed would be ok?  the feds have accomplished exactly that in the gulf and on federal land, yet at the same time certain politicians are trying to position themselves as the reason we're importing less crude.  if only they had more control over what occurs on private and state owned land, maybe we'd be in even better shape than we are right now.

we've heard over and over how more drilling isn't the answer.  actually we've been hearing variations of that for decades now.  perhaps drilling even less to make "alternatives" look better is the answer, then it'll be easier to subsidize pondscum literally instead of just figuratively.  who needs oil and gas when you have algae farms and unicorn farts?  think of all the green jobs we can save or create.

one thing's for sure, with "friends" like you the industry doesn't need any more new enemies.  ya'll keep up the "good work" out here on the front page, ya hear?

i don't know, drink more i guess.  that question is about as relevant to this discussion as would be my asking how you got comfortable with hurricane katrina, or how you recovered from nobody taking buddy roemer seriously as a presidential candidate.

oooh, or maybe how it is that you're comfortable with seasonal record high gasoline prices, which basically represent a regressive tax that eats up disposable income, disproportionately affecting the poor.  why does obama hate poor people, sesport?

perhaps we should let them eat algae cake!

"what industry does."  like, in general?  phrasing, dear.  freudian slips aside, you miss the point again.  purposefully, one supposes.

i can read fine, maybe you should reread what i wrote about mr. capntax markey, you're the one who brought up drilling "cessation," not me.

Essay, I'd much rather read tough, factual arguments instead of hyper-emotional attacks on another GHS member.  I appreciate that Sesport asked the hard questions that other members don't.

what are you talking about?  hard questions?  i would prefer lots of things to what gets said here on the front page, and you're free to interpret other poster's interactions however you see fit.  but it is a fact that conflating the deepwater horizon accident with hydrofracking by making a blanket indictment against the morals and ethics of the o&g industry at large is disingenuous at best, dishonest at worst, and frankly attempts to take advantage of an emotional subject.  most forums i frequent would call it a thread hijack, among other things, and it happens over and over here.  what would you like tough facts about, feel free to point out anything i have said that you would like to discuss further, as long as david is ok with his thread careening off-course.  or perhaps you could start your own thread.  whatever floats your boat.

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