Fracking Responsibly?

An op-ed in today’s New York Times by Joe Nocera is an example of why this country is failing to control the corporate pillaging of both our environment and our economy. The title is “How to Frack Responsibly,” but read it for yourself, and tell me how in hell it lives up to that name. It doesn’t even come close. The first paragraph is, in its entirety, “Fracking isn’t going away,” and in the second paragraph we find this,

To put it another way, the technique of hydraulic fracturing, … has more than proved its value. Fracking’s enemies can stamp their feet all they want, but that gas is too important to leave it in the ground.

Do you really need to read any further to figure out where this asshole is going with his half-witted, corporate propaganda diatribe?

He does ask the question, “How much methane leaks into the air as a result of fracking?” and answers himself, “Incredibly, nobody knows.” Then, instead of responsibly saying that we should hold off on engaging in this pernicious process until we know the answer to that question, he says we should study it and think about regulations, and meanwhile continue fracking and leaking at the maximum possible rate because… Well, you know, because the drillers need the gas.

Incredibly, he has some so-called environmentalist outfit on his side,

One thing I’ve always liked about the Environmental Defense Fund is its hardheaded approach. Founded by scientists, it believes in data, not hysteria. It promotes market incentives to change behavior and isn’t afraid to work with industry.

These people are the ones who apparently gave this bonehead the idea that we should study the fracking process rather than actually, you know, stop it, or at least make major changes to it and make those changes now, before major damage is done to our environment. Not only that but if regulation is ever implemented, these idiots don’t want the federal gov't involved, they think that states would do a better job. Right, like the states’ records on regulating the oil industry is such an unblemished success.

Missing completely from his half-witted discussion is the effect of fracking on domestic water supplies, which is a well documented ongoing disaster and ample reason to shut down fracking in its entirety immediately.