Shale gas
A long wiki link on the subject can
be found at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shale_gas
Here's a
recent post on the subject, also.
The Green
Religion and Fracking
Thomas Lifson
Environmentalism has become a religion for most
adherents, where reason takes a back seat to faith. This can be seen quite
clearly in the environmentalist response to fracking, which actually benefits
the very goals the greenies proclaim. The green case for fracking is laid out
by Walter Russell
Meade:
Ask a green what he or
she thinks about fracking, and you're likely to get an earful of criticism
about methane leaks, poisoned groundwater, and climate change disaster. But a new report
from the ecologically minded Breakthrough Institute (BI) makes the case that
shale gas actually has a net environmental benefit. Nevermind the boosts to our
energy security, and economy that fracking provides; the controversial drilling
process is worth embracing on green merits alone.
The benefits are based on a comparison of
natural gas and coal, the fracking-produced former displacing king coal in the
generation of electric power. In the real world, that is the tradeoff being
made. Windmills and solar could never do this job because they do not provide
secure supplies, what electric utilities call base load. The wind and solar
power fetishized by greens can only be frosting, never the cake in meeting our
need for electric power. They come and they go, as the wind blows, the earth
turns, and the skies cloud up.
Natural gas generated power is way, way, way
cleaner than coal power. WRM again:
[BI report] Whereas coal
mining removes entire mountains and contaminates streams with hazardous waste,
natural gas drill pads occupy only a few hundred square feet, and there are
only a handful of cases of groundwater contamination by fracking chemicals.
Whereas innovation in coal mining resulted in greater landscape degradation,
innovation in gas fracking has resulted in less-toxic fracking chemicals, fewer
drill pads, and better drilling practices. (snip)
Despite all of this, the green camp is firmly
entrenched in its opposition to shale gas. No matter that shale gas displaces
dirty-burning coal; it's still a fossil fuel, and its emissions aren't zero.
But the world isn't black and white, and the fact that greens can't see in
shades of gray means that they will continue to be forced to sit out serious
energy policy debates.
A rational analysis shows that fracking is a net
plus for the environment, in addition to the other huge benefits it confers on
national security and the economy. That many members of the Church of Gaia put
their faith in an imaginary world above reason is shows they are a religion.
And of course we can't teach religion in our schools, can we.
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