Russia won’t develop shale gas because of the risk to drinking water. So now Russia has a better environmental record than the US. Aren’t you proud?
Gazprom scorns shale gas as ‘danger to drinking water’
Russia’s Gazprom has attacked the idea that huge new US reserves of shale gas will harm its dominance as the world’s biggest producer, warning the energy source is environmentally unsound.
Alexander Medvedev, head of exports at Gazprom, said he thought it “unimaginable” that Europe would allow shale gas to be developed. He said Gazprom believes the US Environmental Protection Agency will raise concerns about its potential contamination of drinking water in a forthcoming report.
About Sharon Wilson
Sharon Wilson is considered a leading citizen expert on the impacts of shale oil and gas extraction. She is the go-to person whether it’s top EPA officials from D.C., national and international news networks, or residents facing the shock of eminent domain and the devastating environmental effects of natural gas development in their backyards.
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And here's the other side of the story, which you undoubtedly knew about, but of course failed to include:
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/finance/rowenamason/100003741/russian-energy-giant-gazprom-shale-gas-is-really-really-really-rubbish-no-really-it-is/
Actually, I had not seen this, so thanks. Still, shale gas as it is currently extracted is not an environmentally good idea. It needs better regulation and I'm sure you know that
No, actually I don't.
If environmentalists were in charge of the world, we would all live in caves. I'm quite certain that exaggeration is not too far off.
It's good that th general public is on my side then. FWIW, I'm not fond of caves but good luck with that distortion.
If O&G companies ran the world we would see an ever-increasing rate of cancer, oh wait, we are, and they do. I think Tim said it best, I'm a Jesus freak, and now thanks to them, an environmentalist too. We are all a reflection of our experiences, and more and more people are having a "bad experience" with Shale gas, no one can deny that.
The fact that you are on this blog, shows that you are, at a minimum, concerned that Sharon is having an impact, if she wasn't you wouldn't have bothered.
Believe it or not, I am not 'concerned' in the least bit about the effectiveness of this blog. I'm a realist. If it's effective, it's affective, if it's not, it's not.
You all have it in your heads that any time someone comes on here and speaks out against you, they are concerned that your message is spreading. That's not true at all.
Actually, I just come on here for entertainment. It riles me up a bit because I know the other side of the issue(s) and I love coming on here and looking at some of the ridiculous things that are posted. Truthfully, it actually makes my convictions for what I believe stronger.
And I hate to break it to you, there are MUCH bigger causes of cancer in the world than the energy industry. If by providing the gasoline that goes in your car, thereby indirectly polluting the earth, then yes, I would agree with you. But that's not what you are against on this blog.
This blog exists because of the displeasure that a certain few have of the energy industry being in their own backyard. I can totally understand that, although I do not live near it. But don't for a second try to tell me that the industry as a whole directly creates a huge "cancer-causing" problem in the world. There are many other causes, this cause was chosen on this blog because if it's relevancy to your lives. But should it be relevant to the lives of Michigan residents? Oregon residents? Italians? No.
I'm not saying that the industry is perfect and creates no pollution. Far from it.
What do you mean by "more and more people?" Shale gas is becoming a larger and larger part of our energy supply EVERY DAY, so by nature more and more people will be subjected to bad experiences. And of course(especially in this case), the people that are having the bad experiences will be the loudest.
But how many more thousands of people are having a neutral or good experience? You wouldn't know, because they don't voice it.
No industry is perfect; No industry produces goods without consequence. This industry happens to be in your backyard, and although CERTAIN regulations should perhaps be stricter as it relates to operations near your homesites, on the WHOLE it is good for America and good for the majority.
To Anonymous above (1:55). Your BS is NOT entertaining in the least. When you tell me that they just "drilled through your living room" and you tell how close you live to a gas plant, wells, compressor stations, etc. and how much you enjoy it, then, I might become impresses. Until then, goodby to you and your BS.
He's just posturing because he knows change is coming.
When you are one of the handful of people in which a gas well is in your backyard (out of thousands and thousands of wells), then there is absolutely nothing that I can say that will change your tack. I realize this. On a different level, it's like trying to convince someone that the man that murdered one of their family members is a good person (again, on a different but similar level).
If I wasn't involved in the industry and had a well in my backyard, I would most likely be the same way.
My problem with your view is that instead of trying to regulate the extreme cases (like ones in which wells are literally in one's backyard), you want to turn the entire industry upside down based on half truths and misconstrued, blown-up facts. That's where there's an issue.
There is no good in gas drilling to you. You are personally affected by the gas drilling (it is in your backyard), or you're just an environmentalist that would rather live in a cave, and you will use any facts against it to stop it, especially when it is anywhere near civilization.
You use videos of children being scared by compression stations (and even animals), and prominently parade around stories of families deeply affected by gas wells in their backyard.
Well what about the thousands of families that live near wells that aren't affected? ENTER your facts about air quality. oooooook, whatever you say. People are exposed to harmful chemicals and pollutants every single day; Pollutants that they are more directly exposed to (ie exhaust fumes).
It will be a never ending battle, one that your camp will hopefully not win, for the good of the country.
(although I do believe that your battles to regulate rogue gas wells that are right in someone's backyard are warranted)
You are making tons of assumptions. I am not directly affected in a negative way other than air quality and water.
Since I am a mineral owner, I am highly motivated to see drilling regulated so people are not harmed.
Anytime you see something that is incorrect, please feel free to let me know and if I can establish that it is incorrect I will admit that.
Why should children or anyone be forced to endure the horrendous noise from those compressors? The company should buy that home and allow those people to move. There is no reason for industry to cause such suffering. It's not the American ideal and it's not good for America
I will agree with you that the isolated cases in which families are subjected to the noise/pollution of a drilling rig that is directly butted up to their home should be looked at and dealt with appropriately.
But you cannot honestly think that because these isolated cases exist, that gas drilling is bad for America?
If so, then so is driving cars. They pollute the earth and subject humans to harmful pollutants every day.
Nice try but this abuse is widespread. And millions are affected by the toxic air, potential water contamination and water depletion, noise and property devaluing.
Industry can do much better and you know that. Employ emission control devices, recycle water, reveal the chemicals you use and replace dangerous chemicals with green chemicals, only do green completions, give notice to surface owners and compensate them fairly, leave some green spaces alone. Then we won't have a problem. Otherwise gas drilling–as it currently occurs–is not good for America.