553 replies to this topic

[Shortpoet-GTD]

Maybe because it's Canada, but I've heard no mention of this on the news. (This piece is dated July 22)

Tar sands oil coming up from the ground.   They believe it's caused from the pressurization of the underground
oil beds.

"The documents and photos show dozens of animals, including beavers and loons, have died,
and that [nearly 35 tons ] of oily vegetation has been cleared from the latest of the four spill zones. …

“Everybody (at the company and in government) is freaking out about this,” said the (anonymous) scientist.
“We don’t understand what happened.
Nobody really understands how to stop it from leaking, or if they do they haven’t put the measures into place.”
Via Grist

[Shortpoet-GTD]

It's impossible to find good news related to gas fracking (or tar sands)-
and sadly,
another rotten story.

The EPA bowed out and handed over the investigation of water contamination in Wyoming over to the locals.
Issue being, the study is being funded by the
very same company that caused the pollution in the first place.

Fox guarding the hen house-again............
http://insideclimate...r-epa-pulls-out

(Escaping protection agency)

[Besoeker]

Shortpoet-GTD, on 25 July 2013 - 04:28 AM, said:

Thanks for that, but in the end, (no offense) it's just an op ed piece from a reporter.

No reason for me to be offended - it's not my writing.
It's of relevance to the topic and I thought it might be of some interest. to you.

[yoder]

Shortpoet-GTD, on 25 July 2013 - 04:49 AM, said:

“Everybody (at the company and in government) is freaking out about this,” said the (anonymous) scientist.
“We don’t understand what happened.  Nobody really understands how to stop it from leaking, or if they do they haven’t put the measures into place.”

Wouldn't matter if it was Canada or the US, my sense of Schadenfreude kicks in whenever I hear that a company or government is "freaking out" about some boneheaded stunt that blew up in their face.

"Fracking is as safe as the day is long.  In fact, I'd let my own mother live next to the drilling site (if she were still alive).  Fracking is the best thing since-----huh?  What?  Leaking?  How much?  Who has seen it?------ah heh, well, let's just forget what I just said."

[Shortpoet-GTD]

What really steams me is the endless supply of those "natural gas" ads spoken by a pretty, young woman
talking about all the revenues that will be used to build schools and roads.
Big oil and gas know to use the "girl next door" type to the hilt, and to play the sympathy card using the word schools.
She even talks about how "clean and bright" our energy future looks.

If I can't grab the remote quickly enough to purge it from view, I curse at the screen.
*&^%$#*(&%^$#@!!!!!

[Shortpoet-GTD]

An update on the leaking tar sands oil in Canada- their strategy? Wait it out.
The leaks started back in May, with two more in June.

They suspect an old well installed in 1997 as the culprit. This old wellbore has led to the oil bubbling up at
4 different sites.
Mother Jones article

This article has the same question I had in a previous post-why is this being kept secret? (Photo's of damage as well)
http://o.canada.com/...ta-underground/

[Shortpoet-GTD]

In case you missed Gasland 2, (and it pains me to say this) but the bloom is off the rose.
Obama and Lisa Jackson (former head of the EPA) buried reports about the water quality in Pennsylvania
from fracking.

"You see, Sasha and Malia, I had to lie to the American public so I could get re-elected."

Story of the cover-up with additional links here.

(Go ahead and say "I told you so" Phil, and get it over with.)

[Shortpoet-GTD]

Oh great. It's not just gas leaking, tainted water supplies, methane leaks, million dollar homes that can't be sold
because their wells are ruined........
now it's arsenic.
And the hits just keep on coming.

Pennsylvania and Texas are two states (so far) showing elevated levels of arsenic and other heavy metals
in the water supply.
Source

[Shortpoet-GTD]

Pro and con; many are focused on Keystone XL, but pipelines are being laid all the time; increasing the
likelihood of spills.
In Kentucky- the Bluegrass pipeline.

Energy East pipeline in Alberta.
Eastern Gulf pipeline-Illinois to Louisiana.

Oversight and routes are left to the companies themselves.

Just what the oil/gas companies love-no government controls.
Think Progress article.

[Shortpoet-GTD]

Adding to the list of woes regarding fracking; now it's fish death's, some of them threatened species.

A fracking spill in Kentucky back in 2007 released

hydrochloric acid into streams. It acidified the water and increased concentrations of heavy metals
were also found.

Article

(There are many people that like heavy metal, but none of them want to drink it)

[Shortpoet-GTD]

Got water?
Not if fracking continues.............
Granted, drought, overpopulation/sprawl, overuse by too many industries all add to the problem; but fracking
uses a LOT of water in it's processing.

And let's not forget that the massive influx of farmers in the Syrian region helped escalate the unrest there
because of the drought.
http://www.treehugge...t-fracking.html

[Shortpoet-GTD]

With the recent flooding in Colorado, everyone is focused on the water; and rightly so.
But what's under
the water should also be our concern.

Leaking and broken frack pipes, well's toppled over, fluids getting into everything via the flood waters.

Colorado is a heavily fracked state, but the CEO of Colorado Oil and Gas Association said-

"None of the fracking sites have been left open during the flood and we don't have any major issues going on.
There were no fracking sites affected by the flood."

Talk about denial; she's got it down pat.
Source (with photo's of toppled tanks)

[yoder]

“Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it”

[E3 wise]

The effects of fracking fluid with its numerous poisons and carcinogions and heavy metal will reek havoc with wildlife, soil and water contamination.  Once again lack of planning for risk management and due diligence by oil and gas companies will prove to be just another example of the type of destruction these practices cause.  Over the next few weeks I am sure we will see more stories of contaminated ground water.  So much for clear and clean Rocky Mountain water.

[Shortpoet-GTD]

Being #1 is not always a good thing.
The US is on it's way to being #1 producer of crude oil and natural gas.
http://www.climatece...n-climate-16590

And this article speaks to the methane (a powerful greenhouse gas) release at fracking sites.


"It has been widely reported that shifting from coal to gas in electricity generation will provide a 50 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
In reality, the extent of reduced global warming impact depends largely on three factors:
The methane leak rate from the natural gas system."

(the other two, and the rest of the article are here)
http://www.climatece...-benefits-16020

[Shortpoet-GTD]

Unarmed protesters, carrying drums and holding feathers were arrested in Canada.
They stood up against fracking.

A barricade had been erected and the mounted police tried to remove it, when the protest erupted into
violence. Supposedly, police cars were set on fire.

But this article from Reuters also states that the police used tear gas and attack dogs on these unarmed
people.
Our "military" overkill mindset  in action once again; even though this occurred in Canada by
the "Royal Canadian Mounted Police"

But violence is not the answer if these protesters are responsible for the burning; it never is.  

The protests started because the Elsipogtog were not notified of the shale gas exploration by the company,
SWN, a subsidiary of Southwestern Energy Co.on their tribal lands.

Reuters source

[yoder]

Here in North America, I think I've noticed an uptick in the number of attacks against environmental protesters in the past 10 years.  I'm not counting the Occupy protests, but it still seems like there has been an increase in violence against green protests.  Now I'm going to have to dig into it and see if that is actually the case, because it could just be that it has made it into the news more but the actual violence has not increased.

[Shortpoet-GTD]

A recent EPA report says that carbon dioxide and greenhouse gas emissions in the US have declined,
but that in certain states,
methane; the most powerful greenhouse gas,
is rising; from shale and gas fracking.
Texas is one of the worst states in greenhouse gas emissions; 393 million metric tons.

Other states that are emitting large quantities of GHG are Colorado, North Dakota, Wyoming, Indiana,
Pennsylvania, Louisiana and Ohio.   

http://www.climatece...s-picture-16642

[Shortpoet-GTD]

So Canada will not be assessing the environmental damage done from In-Situ oil sands/tar sands? Figures.
More fingers in their ears singing Fa La La from uncaring governments.
http://www.huffingto...tm_hp_ref=green

[Shortpoet-GTD]

Our fight against fracking continues.
Article with video here-
http://ecowatch.com/...ation-campaign/