Friday, June 25, 2010

First coal then oil am I forgetting something?

Oh yes our other wonderful natural resource natural gas. You know that clean burning stuff that heats your water, runs your furnace and could even power cars. Wonderful I thought until a documentary came on TV last night called:
GASLAND
If your click on the link you'll be taken to the website of Josh Fox who made the film. Let the page load and you'll get an animation in very simple terms of what corporate America is doing to it's citizens. Even though this is not the movie itself you can clearly understand the process no matter what language you speak. Great idea Josh!

With the help of Dick Cheney the oil and gas companies have been given Card Blanche to pollute our waters and air. They profit from the activity while the rest of us are both quickly and slowly poisoned by what they do. I was aghast at the chemicals they're pumping into our environment many of which I've worked with over the years. I was very impressed by two gals in the documentary who must have degrees in chemistry or at the very least a high understanding of what is being released into our environment.

And once again greed has reared it's ugly head. Once Dick Cheney cut his deal it was a gold rush to the gas fields which is on our public lands I might add. These are private companies making some outlandish profits on public property and we're getting a pittance for having them destroy our air, land and water. If you thought the exposures from the oil in the Gulf were bad you need to see the effects on the people in the film. You'll see at least the ones who didn't sign a non disclosure agreement.

In Texas on the western part of Ft. Worth there was such a gas rush. People realized that they could get very rich very quick by leasing their land to the gas companies. They were given assurances that the process was very safe and would do no damage. Too bad these people didn't do their homework. Not only is their own health in danger but the health of their neighbors. Which begs the question how much is your health worth? What would you do with a ton of money yet in too much pain to get out of bed or unable to breath?

Every time I see some oil or gas company come up with a new process it reminds me of the last throws of the horse and carriage trade coming up with a new bridal for the horse or a new buggy whip. I keep thinking there must be a better way because we can't keep digging up the remains of dead dinosaurs where we get our food and water.

Later beavers.

11 comments:

S.W. Anderson said...

I think fear of impending forced change is partly behind increased avarice and recklessness on the part of extractive energy industries. In some corner of their greed-poisoned minds they know things can't and wont be allowed to continue the way they have been. For one thing, we're probably past peak oil already. If not we soon will be. Then, there's global warming, which despite their denials they know is fact.

No surprise, then, that they make deals with Republican devils, who all too willingly are their employees within government.

I think if we're to have an answer, it must be through licensing and taxation. As Sen. Bernie Sanders tells it, Exxon Mobile made $19 billion in profits last year and not only paid no taxes -- none -- the company actually got a refund!

Meanwhile, Republicans have daily tantrums about the deficit. No money for extending unemployment, but don't anyone dare demand that poor old Exxon Mobile pay taxes on its $19 billion. And don't even mention that Exxon's billionaire and millionaire executives, directors and major investors should pay their rightful share of the tax load.

Is it any wonder we have so many unemployed, now with exhausted jobless benefits and no job in sight, while the deficit is sky high and sure to get ever bigger?

To top it all off, to far too great an extent our president is proving to be as much about sustaining the problem as about going all out for the solution.

Tim said...

Demeur and SW great input here.
I'm so pissed at myself for missing that special on Gas. We have a big problem around here where I live. It's the way they drill for it I guess. I think it's called something like defracturing. It's done with water pressure. The thing is methane gas in in the water. Some people can actually light up their faucet water.

jmsjoin said...

You know what kills me? You have not heard a damn word from the guilty Cheney and Bush but Cheney's scummy daughter spoke up once saying it was not her fathers fault but we all know it was.

Gas. coal, and oil interests will fight tooth and nail to keep them as our main source but we have got to get off them. I thought hydrogen would be it. Whoever does come up with the replacement owns the future.

Tom Harper said...

I saw this same story at another blog. I'm glad people are posting on it and getting the word out.

There's nothing our corporate masters won't do to their livestock (i.e., us).

BBC said...

There hasn't been a natural gas line in this area for many years, there also isn't a RR service here anymore. I think the last trains ran in the 60's.

I don't know how we'll clean up the mess in the gulf, or any of the other future messes we make.

But I'm pretty certain that nature will be cleaning up the last ones being as we won't be here to do it.

BBC said...

Now, now, don't you go upsetting the capitalists.

BBC said...

Just a little item of interest.

Guilty

S.W. Anderson said...

Average Patriot, from what I understand, the technology for hydrogen energy systems is 95 percent or more developed and proven. What's needed is a Manhattan Project-like commitment to come up with a changeover plan/program.

The program would help get hydrogen cell refill stations set up all over the country, retrain vehicle assemblers and mechanics and subsidize consumer purchases until economies of scale kick in to bring vehicle prices down to levels roughly comparable to those for similar gasoline-powered vehicles. All this is doable, but probably not until we get past the recession and substantially reduce the deficit.

BBC said...

but probably not until we get past the recession and substantially reduce the deficit.

But wasn't the Manhattan project during such a time?

Demeur said...

Billy- ducks? Hell we should round up all the Canadian geese we have here and send them home. They won't migrate anymore because people feed them year round here.

Jim hydrogen will be the way to go and yes we already have the tech. It just needs to be ramped up.

SW not only that but we gave them a subcity to boot.

Tim you did know they want to drill into the Adirondack aquifer in your part of the country. Bet you're glad you don't get your water from there or do you?

S.W. Anderson said...

BBC asked: "But wasn't the Manhattan project during such a time?"

No, Senate Republicans didn't have a 41-vote majority then.