FRACKED UNDERCOVER

Northern Tier

Marcellus Shale

Business Expo

Background: I've been wanting to get some insight into the minds of all those seemingly average people who have apparently fallen under some sort of spell cast by the drillers and politicians and their fecal marketing ploys. And there it was - an Expo - I could slip in among them and observe up close how this could have happened to so many innocent citizens. So I put on my typical person outfit, hid my camcorder, had a double of single malt just in case, and hit the expo. Besides the huge shiny wastewater trucks and tall drilling rigs it was a lot like many other conventions and expos I've attended. But then I noticed there was a drilling opportunities seminar being given by Chesapeake in a corner room so I slipped in the side door. I was totally unprepared for what I saw and was only able to film for a couple of minutes before fearing that I might become infected - I blew on out of there as fast as I could. The Chesapeake guy in the white shirt and tie scared me the most. And I swear - I didn't put anything in the kool-aid.

Be Afraid - Be Very Afraid 

FRACTRACKER

Conrad Dan Volz, DrPH, MPH

University of Pittsburgh

Center for Healthy Evironments & Communities

Principal Investigator and Director

FracTracker.org

Marcellus Shale Data Tracking

I have been "tracking" Dr Volz for some time as he has been quoted in numerous articles, primarily in the western PA press. I enthusiastically applaud his new site and its goals which, if supported, promise to become of unique benefit for us all - the real people of the Marcellus.

Dr Volz and his organization have assumed a vital responsibility too long abrogated by our "leaders" in government and industry. Well, Frack Them.

Sincere Thanks and Much Success to FracTracker.

For Site - Click Here

THERE WILL BE GAS

INVESTIGATIVE VIDEO

DC BUREAU.ORG

"It's a modern day gold rush with all sides seeking the advantage."

"The energy lobby effectively controls the process at all levels of government."

"Despite possible, significant environmental costs, it seems economic interests are determined to make sure that:

There Will Be Gas

Click here to view

NEVER GIVE UP. NEVER. NEVER.

"Amid world's challenges,

never give up.

Never. Never."

Today's Inquirer included an essay by Mr. Bogle that was adapted from a commencement adress given at Trinity College on May 23. As I was reading I thought of how often the odds seem so hopeless that it is tempting to just give up and bail. I have long admired Mr. Bogle for his lifelong commitment to those "old school" qualities of courage, honesty, integrity, humility and service to others that are so hard to find these days. He reminded me of my late father who had always demonstrated those same qualities.

It's a good essay from a good and wise man and carries a message worth remembering when things look grim.

I hope you'll read it - click here

"To have striven, to have made the effort,

to have been true to certain ideals -

this alone is worth the struggle." William Penn

btw - there's a story that he got the title to his latest book from a conversation between Kurt Vonnegut and Joseph Heller who were attending a party hosted by a billionaire. After Vonnegut told Heller that their host earns more in a day than Heller ever earned from Catch-22, Heller said that he has something that the billionaire will never have: enough.

TROUBLED PROMISE

Three Great Articles by

Laura Legere

TROUBLED PROMISE:

Little oversight, looming problems

for PA gas insustry.

Click here

Impact of natural gas drilling

environmental woes could linger.

Click here

More than an eighth of

Lackawanna County land leased

to drilling companies,

more wells likely.

Click here

Much obliged to Laura & The Times!

Outstanding!

BLUE TARP BLUES BREAK

Sonny Landreth

An homage to my favorite

Louisiana Native Son

and slide guitarist extraordinaire

He wrote Blue Tarp Blues after Hurricane Katrina and toured to help raise money for the people back home.

Sonny will be playing outdoors in King of Prussia on August 1. Click here for info. Hope to see you there - there's really no one else like him.
Here's another song

STILL FRACKED

"New standards approved for salts in gas drilling wastewater - but it's still OK to discharge carcinogens!"

Isaiah Thompson

Philadelphia City Paper

Please click here to read the best perspective I've seen on yesterday's IRRC vote.

Way to go Isaiah!

DR SANDRA STEINGRABER - PT TWO

ITHACA SPEECH - JUNE 12, 2010

"I'm a biologist up at Ithaca College. I study carcinogens - chemicals that cause cancer."

"...nothing I've learned in the last 30 years of researching carcinogens scares me more than fracking."

"We all need now to be speaking about fracking."

"But I'm not just a scientist. I'm also a mother and a resident of this beloved place. And I'm not willing to be part of the fracking experiment. Are you?"

"And because my job as a parent is to keep my children safe from harm, my job as a parent is to say NO to fracking..."

"This is the struggle of our time. This is our chance to be heroic."

"Join me in letting our children and grandchildren know - letting all the generations that come after us know - that we ...did not play the role of Good Germans when the frackers arrived."

Please read here and spread this link around.

More on Dr Steingrabber to come.

DR SANDRA STEINGRABER - PT ONE

SHALE GAME

"... to use the world's ugliest gerund:

fracking."

"There are four stories to tell about it."

"The shale army has arrived."

"On the way home, walking on an unbroken sidewalk made of shale above an as-of-yet unshattered bedrock made of shale, my son said, 'We shouldn't wreck this place down, right, mom?' And his words drew a battle line across my heart."

Please read here and spread this link around. Sandra's voice needs to be heard here in PA.

More from Sandra on my next post - thanks.

COME ON DAD - HURRY!

I'm so sorry darling.

There's nowhere to go.

IS IT POSSIBLE?

We have left a Terrible Beast

for our young to face

I think they're feeling

abandoned & helpless & afraid

Please listen to them

Can we show them it's possible?

IS IT POSSIBLE?

DIMOCK ON ABC NEWS

Natural Gas Drilling May Not Be Healthy

http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/natural-gas-drilling-healthy-10905550

Only 3 1/2 minutes - but it's national

DEPRAVED INDIFFERENCE BAND

PA Marcellus 'Play' Tour

Produced by:

Marcellus Shale Coalition

&

Governor Ed Rendell

Sponsored by:

PA Dept of Environmental Protection

PA Dept of Conservation and Natural Resources

Penn State Cooperative Extension

Tour Host:

Kathryn Z. Klaber

Special Guest Performances:

Senator Mary Jo White

Dr Terry Engelder

&

The Chesapeake Energy Brass Balls Band

Coming Soon to Your Town!

Straight from thier long running sold out Texas Tour

Watch for the

State Forest Gala Weekend Jam

Fireworks & Special Effects by EOG Resources, Inc

Love & Thanks to Elizabeth Burns!

BEYOND EVERYTHING

Here, There, Everywhere...
What I'm seeing is really beyond everything.
I've been very shaken for over two months and need to stop and re-evaluate somehow.
Meanwhile - for your consideration...

PLEASE ... PREPARE 

PENN STATE BLOWS SMOKE OVER MOSHANNON STATE FOREST

FRACKED AGAIN

From Thomas Murphy of Penn State's Marcellus Training and Education Center -

"The extent of the damage is likely comparable to spraying saltwater all over the surrounding vegetation..."

The same report stated that natural gas and wastewater shot 75 feet into the air from Thursday night until noon Friday. The Inquirer reported that "a safety device known as a blowout preventer had failed."

Now, I know, and Penn State knows, and he knows, but some people don't know what that million or so gallons of wastewater contains: the most God-Awful, Nasty, Toxic, Frac't Up Devil's Brew ever conceived - Thank You Haliburton. I have a degree in chemistry and I absolutely don't want benzene, toluene, zoluene, mbas surfacants or any of the other frac'n deadly ingredients...

anywhere near anyone.

SPRAYING SALTWATER?

Are you fracking kidding me?

I just can't come up with an adjective to accurately describe Murphy and that statement; shameful? duplicitous? irresponsible? dangerous?

total bullshit?

I discovered early on in my investigating that Penn State had been assimilated by the gas industry's marketing department years ago. In my opinion the college and some of its "educators" have done almost immeasurable harm to this state and its citizens.

I'll let Bill Hicks speak to them for me:

WE'RE HERE

Welcome to Moshannon State Forest

Marcellus Shale Gas Well Rupture Controlled After 16 Hours

"We hope you enjoy Pennsylvania's beautiful state forest lands and all they have to offer" Gov Rendell & PA DCNR

STOP MAKING SENSE

For your consideration...

BP Blows Off Cameron

Who's On First?

HERITAGE and HEARTACHE

These two of my ancestors came to the New World in 1750 to escape oppression in Germany. They and many of their decendants are buried in Fayette County - about a mile or so above the shale.

They became farmers and bore sons and daughters and some fought in the Pennsylvania militia. Some of their sons fought in the Civil War.

Through two centuries my forefathers have fought in our wars.

My father - a surgeon - served during the Korean War as an army captain at a US Army Hospital. He and my mother and his parents are buried in Fayette County -about a mile or so above the shale.

Of course, underneath the noble truths and principles they fought for - it's about the future of our children.

It's always about the children.

If, in some manner, my ancestors are watching, I'm certain they feel, even more than I...

sick at heart.

IT'S ABOUT THE CHILDREN