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Gas Boom Projected to Last for Decades
- RKoutnik 14y agoCan we not submit stories that have a paywall? This sounds like something I'd be interested in, but not $21.99 interested.
- cvg 14y agoPaywalls aren't ideal, but they often have the better content. Easy way to hop over the WSJ paywall: search title on Google, open link in incognito NYTimes paywall: Open link in incognito. After 10 articles, close all incognito windows and try again.
- shard 14y agoPaywall-less Google link to article: http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CDYQqQIwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB10001424127887323293704578330700203397128.html&ei=JskuUd3wM6-eiAf4mYCIBA&usg=AFQjCNGItQs3PoMCoi6lm_mncyoc_Rikbw&sig2=9G9fsXZOB8L8jQKcmMlgZg&bvm=bv.43148975,d.aGc&cad=rja http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&#...
- vannevar 14y agoThis is based on an enormous unproven assumption, which is that fracking can be done without incurring catastrophic environmental costs. Coal mining and cigarettes look economical too as long as you foist the real costs onto the general population.
- leifaffles 14y agoI found this short fracking discussion enlightening: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NW_xJqPjE_I# http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NW_xJqPjE_I#!
- vannevar 14y agoThanks for the link. The expert in the video says that he believes fracking is safe, yet the facts he cites support the opposite conclusion. According to the video, unlike ordinary natural gas drilling, fracking involves pumping toxic chemicals (including benzene and formaldehyde) under pressure into the ground. But like ordinary drilling, failures can and do occur. The video cites faulty drilling casings and operator incompetence as the causes of two incidents where water was contaminated with natural gas, and a third incident where water was contaminated by trucks bringing benzene to the drilling site. That the first two failures weren't unique to fracking and that the third was not directly related to the drilling itself are not rational reasons for discounting them in assessing the overall risks of fracking. Even if the expert is correct in saying that the risk of failure is the same as ordinary drilling, it is the consequence of failure that must be considered. If the risk for a plumbing failure at a nuclear power plant were the same as the risk of a leak in my garden hose, no reasonable person would conclude that the plant was therefore no riskier than watering my lawn. Yet that is essentially the logic applied by the video's 'expert'.
- bluedanieru 14y agoI think it's rather that there is another totally reasonable and historically accurate assumption that catastrophic environmental costs need not factor into the projection.
- vannevar 14y agoIt is not reasonable to assume that because a phenomenon is not observed in a small sample size, that it will also be absent in a much larger sample size. The volume of fracking fluid being pumped into the ground today is orders of magnitude larger than has been used historically.
- vannevar 14y agoIf our anonymous downvoter has information to the contrary, it would be helpful if they would post it.
- DuskStar 14y agoI think he means that the companies have a history of not being stuck with environmental cleanup costs or other secondary costs- and thus even if there will be enormous damages, it won't impact their profits.
- vannevar 14y agoAh yes, under that interpretation I would agree wholeheartedly.
- bluedanieru 14y agoEh, yeah and that's the correct one. In the interests of brevity I guess I left some ambiguity there in what I meant.
- pasbesoin 14y agoPotable water shortage projected to last indefinitely.
- geargrinder 14y agoSorry about the pay-wall link. Hard to tell which link I had. The free one was shared by shard below. Maybe the mods can fix the link in the original.
- 0003 14y agoIt looks like IRC Chapter 1, Subchapter I - Natural Resources is in for a re-write as the USA no longer needs to encourage domestic production.
- beedogs 14y agoIn other news, the wanton, unregulated, for-profit destruction of our water table and environment is projected to last for decades.
- ori_b 14y agoIf not here, then elsewhere. We're decades away from a green economy. We would be decades away even if we decided to invest what was necessary to get us there, and with the current levels of investment, I would be unsurprised if we're still drilling for oil full blast when I die.
- beedogs 14y agoOh, it's definitely elsewhere as well. They're doing it on the outskirts of Melbourne now, too. Australia is full of the stuff and it's only just now beginning to be exploited.
- e12e 14y ago> U.S. natural-gas production will accelerate over the next three decades, new research indicates The graph seems to indicate a slowing rate of increase? Of course, it only shows gas as a percentage of US production, and I guess oil and coal production is projected to go down -- so the only way for the graph to be negative was if gas was depleted sooner than oil and gas?
- snambi 14y agoWell, solar boom has been going on for billions of years and predicted to last billions of years. And most of it is FREE or LOW MAINTENANCE. Oil guys should think about it.
- seanmcdirmid 14y agoEnergy is needed to produce those solar panels. You also need space and the grid to move the electricity around. Oh and store it at night (if you don't have a backup source of power). I'm partial to nuclear, there is enough Uranium in Australia to keep us going for at least 1000 years or so.
- Danieru 14y agoI would not be so enthusiastic. It has also been well established that this solar curse is the driving force behind global warming. To be more fair natural gas is our perfect bridge fuel to a renewable future. Coal powerplants can be replaced right now instead of waiting for unsubsidized competitive solar. Nuclear powerplants can be brought down for maintain and improvements. Cheaper energy will drive manufacturing and save families money on heating. Problems exist to be solved, fracking's problems are no exception and the reward is progress.
- crdoconnor 14y ago>I would not be so enthusiastic. Why not? Germany is ramping up renewable output pretty fast these days. It's not cheap, but it's sustainable and affordable, and you're protected from volatility in the hydrocarbons market.
- vannevar 14y agoProblems exist to be solved, fracking's problems are no exception and the reward is progress. Yes, we just need to get the drilling industry to recognize there is a problem. Necessity is the mother of invention, and regulation is good way to create necessity. Auto manufacturers fought clean air restrictions and fuel efficiency requirements, but those regulations spurred them to innovate. I'm sure the drillers would as well.
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- aooeeu 14y ago"Oil and gas production from fracked wells thus starts out high but suffers ferocious decline rates—up to 90% in the first year alone." http://thearchdruidreport.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-end-of-shale-bubble.html http://thearchdruidreport.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-end-of-sh...