The above graphic crudely describes how the fracking process works. In simple terms, a slurry of water, sand and some of the worst chemicals you can imagine are pumped into the ground to creates fissures in the rock below, thus releasing natural gas to be collected from the same pipe. The problem with this approach is that no matter what the chemicals used in this process are seeping into local environments and groundwater while the heads of Halliburton, and countless other energy firms, are committed to this lie: there is no possible contamination. They also believe that the numerous testimonies, scientific studies and reports which confirm this contamination are blatant lies, without offering any rebuttal except, "it's safe".
If these productions are let loose across the northeast, say goodbye to drinking from your faucet because it will literally be flammable. I'm not joking, watch the movie. So you might say, who is letting this happen? How can these companies let this go on, knowingly contaminating countless water supplies and injuring/killing countless residents? The only explanation I can muster is that they value the almighty dollar more that American lives.
I must ask three questions about this problem directed at you, the press, the government and the ring leaders:
1. Is reducing our dependence on foreign fuel sources, by capturing homegrown natural gas via fracking, more important than endangering the lives of millions of Americans, let alone total ecosystems?
2. Why are we obsessed with continuing the usage of fossil fuels, in this case natural gas, knowing that they are doomed to fail? Why isn't that money going into the research and scale-up of known renewable energy sources, thus creating an even bigger green economy?
3. What can we, the people of the United States of America, do to stop this blatant destruction of our great nation when politicians see, hear and speak no evil?
I'll leave you here with the man who helped all of this happen. He used to be the CEO of Halliburton and I'm sure he's still on their payroll. He was the Vice President of the Bush administration for both terms. He backed and passed a bill which excluded the entire natural gas industry from answering to dozens of environmental protection acts known as the Halliburton Loophole. Former Vice President and current face of evil, Dick Cheney.
It's interesting that this has been going on for years yet we've only just found out about it
ReplyDeletegreat link to the editorial about the Halliburton Loophole! It is interesting to note that in the Northeast, state representatives seem to be taking a more active interest in the public water supply. Like you said, this active interest is probably more of a fiscally motivated, not morally. The potential population affected by Hyrdolic fracturing in the Northeast is huge and could impact the health of major cities. In a sense, it reflects how we divide our governmental power...states with larger populations have a stronger voice. That, and the possibility of cities such as NYC receiving a harmful and non-potable water supply is unacceptable.
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