Let me start off by saying, don't let the hair fool you, I am NOT a hippie.  And this is NOT an attack on the entire oil industry just a certain segment of it (obviously none of us would have this hobby if there was no oil).  But this is a topic that's important to me and I hope you guys will support it.

 

 

On November 21st, the Governors of Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and the Army Corps of Engineers will be voting on the legalization of natural gas drilling in three of the states listed above (Delaware will not be drilled, but more on this in a bit).  The drilling is done by a process called hydraulic fracturing, AKA Fracking.  This involves drilling into shale bedrock and injecting an incompressible fluid into the bedrock, which fractures the rock and releases the gas.  

 

The problem lies in the fluid and the releasing of gas.  The fluid itself is incredibly toxic and is filled with known carcinogens.  The fluid is pumped back out after it has been injected, but only about 50% of the fluid comes out.  The rest seeps into the ground water where it flows wherever the aquifer takes it.  It is pure chemical waste and it is willingly pumped into our drinking water.  These are chemicals that require full hazmat protections (the most toxic rating given to some compounds), and they ARE PUMPED INTO THE GROUND!!!  

 

On top of the toxic sludge being pumped in the ground, the fracturing of bedrock is an uncontrolled explosion.  Not only does the fracking fluid get absorbed into the water table, but the natural gas itself seeps into the water.  There are many accounts of people BEING ABLE TO LIGHT THERE TAP WATER ON FIRE FROM THE SPIGOT!!!  Don't believe me?  [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEtgvwllNpg]See for yourself.[/url]  This is people's drinking water!  

 

The hydraulic fracturing industry is an unregulated segment of the oil industry and due to a loophole in the [URL=http://www.dec.ny.gov/energy/46445.html]2005 Clean Energy Act[/URL]  is not covered by the Clean Air and Water Act established in 1974.  The States have governance over the regulation of drilling for gas.  The vote on November 21st will either pave the way for fracking or block it indefinitely.  

 

Even though Delaware will not be drilled, we are in the Delaware River's tributary.  Any runoff from upstream (NY, PA, NJ) runs into Delaware.  We do not want these toxic chemicals in our water!!!  Both Tom Corbett of PA and Chris Christie of NJ have said they will vote yes to this act.  Both have been bought and paid for by the oil industry.  Andrew Cuomo has stated he will vote no.  I implore you to call or email the offices of Jack Markell (Delaware), our President Barack Obama, and our Vice President Joe Biden (a Delaware native) and tell them to vote NO!!! on November 21st.

 

There are many areas of Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and the Far East that will be watching the outcome of this vote.  If the vote passes many more people on our planet will face the same problem and the vote will be easier to pass.  

 

The point is, Liberal, Conservative, or Moderate, this is a problem that faces us all.  This isn't about global warming.  There is no gray area when you are pumping hazardous material into ground water.  This is about companies knowingly destroying the one planet we have for personal gain.  The only people this drilling benefits is the oil companies who pad their wallets.  The workers who build these rigs, the people who live near them, the farmers who have to cultivate the polluted land, the people who want to enjoy nature's beauty...they will all be affected by this vote.  

 

Even if you don't live in the area, please contact Biden, Obama, and Markell and give them your opinion.  If fracking does not affect you now, it will be coming your way.  If the Nation stands behind its environment, we can win this battle.  PLEASE spend a few minutes to write to our President and tell him to vote NO!  If there was ever one time in your life to become politically active, it is NOW.  I can not stress enough how big a disaster this can be.  Imagine the BP oil spill, except a dozen times larger, much more toxic, and nearly a mile underground where nobody can plug it up, spewing toxic waste for 5-10 years.  

 

This is our future as Americans and as humans on this planet.  Please take the time to voice your opinions.  I will be attending this vote in person to protest the drilling.  Please lend your support to what will be one of the most important decisions of our generation.  For more information, take a look at [url=http://www.gaslandthemovie.com/]the movie Gasland[/URL].  Thank you for reading, and please give your support.

 

It is probably going to be more effective to contact your state congressmen. Letters to the president never get read, and letters to the congressmen might be read. But to see this sort of thing being actually considered is moronic. I guess it just goes to show that greed runs our society and how we as a people are self destructive in nature.

Posted By jere on 11-16-2011 08:52 AM
It is probably going to be more effective to contact your state congressmen. Letters to the president never get read, and letters to the congressmen might be read. But to see this sort of thing being actually considered is moronic. I guess it just goes to show that greed runs our society and how we as a people are self destructive in nature.

Obama is actually given ten letters a day (pre-filtered by someone as he probably gets too many to count) and he personally responds to them, hand written.

 

The unfortunate truth is that greed runs every society.  Just look at all the pollution in Asia; they compromised their environment for money.  I went to Taiwan almost 20 years ago, and the entire time I was there, I never saw the sun because of the pollution.  China is horrible right now; they banned driving in Beijing for a month before the Olympics to try to get the smog to clear out.  I have to say though that China is investing heavily in renewable energy and green technology now.

In the US, we have our own form of greed, namely fuel inefficient vehicles (among many other forms of greed that every society has).  Americans don't want to give up their bigass SUVs even though the majority of the owners don't use them for anything that a car/wagon couldn't do.  In Europe, they seem to get by just fine with the average vehicle size being a Ford Focus.  Hell, I'm guilty of this somewhat; my two cars only average about 21-24mpg in my useage.  Though my motorcycle does get 37-42 mpg, but I only put on about 3k miles a year on it with many of those miles being from joy rides.

Wow couldn't see the sun.... I know they are having their own industrial revolution over there but that's just nuts.

As for the USA oil consumption I think by far most of it is being used by the government (think military), next by the farming (especially animal farming) industry to feed the overweight as is populous. Then the modern day consumer that has to buy more things than they can use and has to eat out 4 times a week in their SUV that gets 14 MPG

But back on topic I think the greed issue with "fracking" sits directly with the energy companies/investors/government officials that stand the most gain from the whole stupid ordeal. The group no doubt includes some of the most disgustingly rich people in our nation, that make $10,000+ an hour (no joke). If the congressmen are on board with the issue I have no doubt that they own some stock with whatever energy company and/or are paid a 6 digit sum as some kind of adviser, and/or at the very least paid in campaign funds. Then the blind investors that their only business is selling money, selling it to anyone regardless of what people are going to do with it, if the money was to make machetes for mass genocide they wouldn't care as long as they are making a profit.

I am trying not to go on a full blown rant about this scum, but these are the kind of filthy rich that have been in charge of running our country, and running it into the ground.