Is anybody else scared about hydrofracking???

Someone told me they're building big piers or floating docks or something off the coast to ship natural gas to Japan. Since Japan wants to get off nuclear, they want lots of natural gas. Japan is also building big off-shore wind farms, which is a great idea.

Is this shipping to Japan the TPP?

No. The TPP is a trade agreement under negotiation which has been described as "NAFTA on steroids". It will be fast-tracked through Congress once it is finished. One of the more troubling provisions (among many) allows corporations to sue governments for denial of "expected future profits" due to what the corporations might consider onerous laws, such as environmental regulations. The judgment will be made by a tribunal of private sector lawyers, not a court.

BTW, the details of this pact which are known to the public are mainly due to leaks. And some of the Asian participants appear to be showing resistance to various aspects.

Tom_Reingold said:

I know, it's perplexing as well as infuriating.

I heard something else, which I have not confirmed. Obama, in his energy program, made it so that if a state blocks an energy effort such as a fracking project, the state is liable for the losses to the energy company. Now New York State is currently considering whether to allow fracking legally. If this is really true, then the federal government is extorting New York (and other states) to allow fracking. Wait, I think it also said that if a municipality blocks a project, the state is liable!

Screw New York. They've been living well on cheap energy provided by other states. New Jersey refineries. Appalachian coal. Texas oil. Nice of New York to be holier than thou.

Now that we see what it's like to be an energy producing state, we're saying we don't want to join the club.

Fine. NY should only receive energy deliveries from states that produce energy the way New Yorkers would like it to be produced.

If you want to kill yourself to sell something to me, who am I to stop you?

The problem that the discussion of fracking is like a lot of discussions in our country today -totally polarized and zero-sum. Much can be done to reduce the pollution associated with fracking. But that discussion, to the extent that it is happening at all, is in the background. Fracking is going to happen whether people like it or not. It can be made safer. And certainly, certain watersheds may need additional protection. But it isn't the end of life as we know it.

Hi, Isn't New York that state with all the clean water for their biggest city, but terrible water for the folks who live where that water comes from?

It's not important what the residents of one state or another want. Until hydrofracking get's banned, it willl keep on keeping on!!!

InfiniteSquirrel said:

Hi, Isn't New York that state with all the clean water for their biggest city, but terrible water for the folks who live where that water comes from?

It's not important what the residents of one state or another want. Until hydrofracking get's banned, it willl keep on keeping on!!!

Well, it isn't going to be banned. It can be made cleaner if that is something people want to focus on.

Check out the fracking equipment currently being installed in Roseland next to the Enviromenatl Center no less.

icdart said:

Check out the fracking equipment currently being installed in Roseland next to the Enviromenatl Center no less.

It isn't fracking equipment, but thank you for helping with the hysteria.

http://www.nj.com/essex/index.ssf/2013/06/roseland_gas_compressor_station_faces_opposition_group_protests_construction_at_council_meeting.html

Tom_Reingold said:

If you want to kill yourself to sell something to me, who am I to stop you?

Ahhh, come on man - you know you wouldn't say that if we were talking about 3rd world sweatshops.

RobB said:

Ahhh, come on man - you know you wouldn't say that if we were talking about 3rd world sweatshops.

No, because I assume that if tjohn is in favor of fracking, it's because he's making an informed choice.

But I wasn't really serious. I don't want fracking anywhere, but the first place I should be fighting it is in my home state. Fortunately, we don't have it yet here in New York, and it's easier to prevent it than to shut it down.

tjohn said:

Fine. NY should only receive energy deliveries from states that produce energy the way New Yorkers would like it to be produced.

And every freeloader red state should adopt NY's social and tax values until they are contributing into the federal coffers as much as they are receiving.

And as far as making Fracking safer, that isn't going to happen until the GOP gets out of the way or comes to their senses so that we can have tougher laws. Currently you can not even legally find out what chemicals they are injecting into the ground because it is considered a proprietary secret.

Maybe people could get on board if there was more transparency and some better regulations to make it safer. We could start repealing the Cheney loophole and then see if the energy companies still considered it economically feasible once they were on the hook for cleanup costs.

Folks, today is the last day to comment on the transportation of fracking waste on our rivers. Please send in your comment! There are only 712 registered, and some of those are in favor! PLEASE DO IT NOW!
http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=USCG-2013-0915 Thank you.

-s.

jeffhandy said:

tjohn said:

Fine. NY should only receive energy deliveries from states that produce energy the way New Yorkers would like it to be produced.

And every freeloader red state should adopt NY's social and tax values until they are contributing into the federal coffers as much as they are receiving.

And as far as making Fracking safer, that isn't going to happen until the GOP gets out of the way or comes to their senses so that we can have tougher laws. Currently you can not even legally find out what chemicals they are injecting into the ground because it is considered a proprietary secret.

Maybe people could get on board if there was more transparency and some better regulations to make it safer. We could start repealing the Cheney loophole and then see if the energy companies still considered it economically feasible once they were on the hook for cleanup costs.

I wholeheartedly support tight and transparent regulation of fracking. It will still be economically feasible and there will be less environmental damage.

I was all set to post the request to comment and link on my Facebook page, but noticed that comments were closed as of 11-29-13 11:59pm. So out of luck.

The good thing is that there are 943 comments now.

tjohn said:

I wholeheartedly support tight and transparent regulation of fracking. It will still be economically feasible and there will be less environmental damage.

Unfortunately, we're not headed in the direction of reasonable regulation. The energy companies have been exempted from some normal regulations in the case of fracking.

Global Sanity!?

http://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/Chevron-suspends-shale-gas-exploration-in-Romania-5044475.php#photo-5566843

-s.

Here's wazzup in PA...

http://storyscapes.prospect.org/shale-rebellion/

-s.

...And here in New Jersey...

http://www.change.org/petitions/pinelands-commission-deny-the-proposed-sj-gas-bl-england-pipeline-through-the-pine-barrens

-s.

A victory in PA!!! http://blog.gaslandthemovie.com/?p=402

-s.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/states-confirm-water-pollution-drilling-21427257

Earthquakes in Texas resulting from fracking operations? Nahh...

http://www.texassharon.com/2014/01/14/earthquakes-and-sinkholes-in-north-texas-fracking-zone-described-at-meeting/

-s.

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2014/02/10/140210fa_fact_aviv?currentPage=all

My God. Evil abounds in the world.

The CEO of EXXON loves fracking... but not in his back yard...

-s.

http://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/ceo-sues-to-keep-fracking-away-from-backyard-168887875778

Hardly Breaking News at this point, but...

http://billmoyers.com/2014/04/22/heres-what-fracking-can-do-to-your-health/

-s.

In case you missed it...

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/15/us/californias-thirst-shapes-debate-over-fracking.html?hp&_r=0

-s.

Good argument. California lives on "borrowed" water already and shouldn't mess around with the water supply. Not that anyone should.

We have a place in the central Hudson Valley. The economy is poor, yet there are no-fracking signs everywhere. The thought of fracking scares the pants off me.