Monday, July 11, 2011
Environment This American Life Gets "Fracked"
Posted by George Prentice on Mon, Jul 11, 2011 at 5:45 PM
It's one thing for "fracking," the controversial method of shooting high-pressure fluids into the earth's core to free up natural gas reserves, to get the attention of ProPublica or The New York Times or even BW, but it's considerable when public radio's This American Life takes up the issue.
In the most recent broadcast of TAL, Ira Glass and company visit Pennsylvania, where two professors have two very different viewpoints on natural gas exploration. In the small town of Mt. Pleasant, Penn., a full-scale PR war has begun—a war in which the town was seriously outgunned by a gas exploration company.
Comments (6)
Showing 1-6 of 6
Fracking is not a red herring. What the show forgot to mention is that the horizontally drilled shale must be fractured with explosive charges, aligned on the drilling tube. The fluid contains lubricants and tons of crap plus sand or some other material to hold the fractures open. This isn't an issue of just casing integrity. This is a dirty and damaging process. The failure to understand risk uncertainties to health and the environment are too great at this juncture to warrant continued drilling that could cost us, not the natural gas industry, untold dollars in health and welfare damages.
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Then you must be against all oil and gas production, because fracking has been an integral part of the process. The "shale" part is what is new. For years, there have been studies looking into the crack propagations in shale with horizontal drilling techniques, mostly developed in the gulf of mexico.
5foldsflaps, you write like a drunk. I realize that's an attack, but you should be use to it, you've done it to everyone else on here. By the way, the actual five folds flat area, is a hillbilly wonderland. I can see why you would you that name.
Don't take everything so personal. Just because I disagree on an issue doesn't mean you have to run away screaming names and feeling emotionally hurt. Keep it on the issues and not the feelings.
I missed your point on fracking and directional drilling technology...
Good day.
5chinfolds sure does write like a drunk now that you mention it.
no one is running away screaming names. we're right here commenting on the mental "mega-load" turds you drop.
5tonfatass' eyes must be bleeding. His head is exploding. Its bowels are erupting.
poor flabby!
Does anyone think it's okay for Mount Pleasant (PA 15666) Township to welcome drilling on high school grounds?
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