Marcellus Shale tower[/caption]Carol Forsloff - As gas prices continue to move ever upward, people are clamoring for the solution to the problem of energy. In the middle of this clamor is the debate over natural gas, with T. Boone Pickens as the lead drummer of the band and Newt Gingrich as the drum major for this type of solution, but is it a solution or one that will simply create more problems now and in the future?
In Natchitoches, Louisiana, several years ago, the local public auditorium was filled to capacity with folks seeking to make a fortune by selling bits of land in the area, as the gas giants of industry moved to town, with representatives in offices right off main street. The Haynesville Shale is one of the largest finds for natural gas. People were paid for the rights for underground maneuvers that promised to bring energy to the surface and riches to the economy.
But questions soon came about what the consequences might be to land and people from the water problems that had been found in other parts of the country. A local service person said to this reporter, “I know there might be a problem. But I will have the money to move, if I have to.”
The pristine beauty of Natchitoches Parish appeals to the senses in wonderful ways. It is one of the areas that could be imperiled in the natural gas exploration, if some scientists and the experience of folks in other regions develops in that paradise of the Steel Magnolias.
The hardest fact is while some people could move away, if the risks become evident, many could not, and that makes the questions about the natural gas lines a worry for the future. Questions have arisen also about the potential of fracking to cause earthquakes, with some scientists and others pointing to earthquakes in Virginia and Ohio as linked to natural gas exploration. Many maintain that even if fracking does not actually cause earthquakes, the process can speed up the potential of that catastrophic result.
A recent investigative report by Earth Focus focuses on the natural gas development in the Marcellus Shale. Experts worry about drinking water contamination and other health consequences in population centers and ask the question whether natural gas development is worth the risks. They relate the scientific worries about fracking chemicals that leak into water systems, the kind of chemicals that can cause a variety of cancers.
A YouTube video series details the issues involved in fracking and the specific investigations that reveal how concerned folks should be about the long-term consequences of the process involved in natural gas exploration and development. As much as any visual representation of the problem, is the relating of facts that are uniquely disturbing. The series looks at real people and real events, in asking the question, “Is it worth it?” with reference to health problems that have been tied to fracking.
While some of the questions referencing energy development have been tossed about on national news programs, this account of that “untold story” drives home the need for serious research before folks consent to the potential destruction of more than just property, but the long-term problems related to health as well.
The Halliburton Loophole, put forward by Dick Cheney and energy company executives, exempted the fracking process from regulations related to maintaining clean water and preserving the integrity of the environment. It is that loophole that has created the burgeoning industry that opponents worry may become even greater as gas prices continue to rise and as politicians and their supporters ignore the warnings about the environment and the health of people near the fracking sites.
If some scientists and geologists are right in their assessments, 'fracking could turn the Natchitoches Parish paradise to a hell on earth, as may occur as well in other places where people continue to trade environmental security for immediate gratification through gas.
