Colorado and Texas to Require the Disclosure of Fracking Chemicals

Author: Rachel Cernansky

Colorado and Texas have recently adopted rules that require oil and gas companies to reveal the chemicals that are used in the fracking process. These laws will require companies to disclose all the chemical names and the concetrations that they are using. The governor of colorado thinks the state's legislation will be a model for the other states. Most other states don't require the discloser of the fracking. This may help the fracking situation unlike the clean water act and the safe drinking water act which don't help since the oil and gas companies aren't forced to follow them.

I think its good that some progress has been done to stop fracking. The biggest problem is how much influence fossil fuel companies have in our government. These companies use the government to get what they want. Fracking is not the only way to secure jobs and strenghten our economy. There are many alternative energy resources that will not run out and they will not pollute the environment. I don't to live in a world with a toxic environment where everybody is regreting the desicion to continue fracking.

Why do some people want fracking to continue despite the environmental threat?

What do you think would happen if fracking continued?

Do you think the government officials who support fracking are in it for the people or the money?

http://www.treehugger.com/fossil-fuels/colorado-and-texas-require-disclosure-fracking-chemicals.html

As Gas Drilling Spreads, Towns Stand Ground Over Control by Sabrina Tavernise December 14th, 2011; http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/15/us/towns-fighting

The picture displays what natural gas can do to ordinary tap water.

There is a lot of controversy going on over shale gas. The Republican legislature is trying to give the natural gas companies more power to drill where they want and how they want to. It's safe to say citizens were not happy about this. They are trying to push a bill which would force the drilling companies to drill far away from population dense areas to avoid water contamination. Each side haas fair arguements. The drilling companies claim their drilling will give energy more natural resources for energy and give our economy a much needed boost. On the other hand the citizens say they own the right to say what happens on their land.

Personally I'm on the side of the citizens. I find it un-Constitutional to tell a citizen that they have little say in what companies do their land. Also I think it would help the environment greatly to cut down on all this drilling. We put so much money into drilling for natural gas when we could just as easily turn to renewable sources of energy such as wind and solar power. Also these renewable resources will most likely have far less controversy and will be less likely to make your water flammable.

Is it un-Constitutional to say a citizen has no say in what happens on their land?

Is drilling a waste of money compared to using renewable resources for energy?

Who do you think will ultimately win this debate?

Oil Prices Spiking by Lloyd Alter; December 6, 2011. http://www.treehugger.com/fossil-fuels/oil-prices-spiking-again-when-will-we-ever-learn.html

This graph displays how we are using a lot of oil and how much it costs.

In 2004, the price for a barrel of oil cost $25. In 2008, it was $150. In just these 4 years, oil prices went up $115. This is causing the U.S. to have a bad economy. We have been relying on getting oil from other parts of the world for many years now. Because there is a limited amount of oil in the world, the prices just keep getting higher and higher. Another bad thing is all of this oil coming from cars is bad for the environment.The oil goes into the air and it effects the environment. If we do not do something soon, our economy will be ruined and the air would be very polluted.

It's crazy how much oil we use and how much we depend on it. This doesn't end well for a lot of people. People won't have fuel for their cars, and gas pump companies will go out of business and those people working there won't have jobs. I think people should start to buy electric cars now before the oil runs out. I personally would not want to buy an eletric car right now because of how expensive they are, but when I get older I will have to drive one. If I don't, how will I get to the car dealership if it is far away?

Why aren't more people switching to electric cars?
What will happen to all of the people who will still have cars that run on oil when there is no more oil left?
Do you think car dealerships that do not sell electric cars will eventually go out of business?

Fossil Fuels and the Environment

http://www.greenenergychoice.com/green-guide/fossil-fuels.html

fossil fuels contribute the most to greenhouse gases in the atmosphere; just about 75% of it to be exact. though the atmosphere does naturally absorb greenhouse gases, the amount that we are producing is causing 25% more or the sun's radiation to get trapped. more than 2.5 million tons of carbon comes from power plants alone. almost all of us production comes from these non-renewable sources.

why don't we do anything about this?

why aren't more people doing anything?

do people even realize what's actually going on when they contribute to these statistics?

what could we change in our everyday lives to help stop this?

what will happen if things continue on this way?

Entire Island Nation Runs Out of Water

This island could be threatened by rising sea levels

Author: Brian Merchant 10/18/2011

http://www.treehugger.com/clean-water/entire-island-nation-runs-out-of-water.html?campaign=th_rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+treehuggersite+%28Treehugger%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

The small island nation of Tuvalu only has few days worth of fresh water reserves. Global warming caused the rising sea level. The rising sea level caused the aquifer to become salty and drought which prevents rainwater harvesting. Tuvalu is now dependent on desalination equipment and hydration packets from New Zealand and Australia. Tuvalu is a low lying island so if the sea level keeps rising it will eventually sink into the ocean. Other island nations will also experience this in the near future if the sea level continues to increase. This crisis in Tuvalu foreshadows what could happen all over the world in the future.

I'm really surprised that an entire nation ran out of water.I think its ridiculous that this is happening and that people are still polluting the environment. The problem is that people don't know about this. I'm sure that if enough people were more aware of the affects of pollution then something would be done about this.

1. Do think that the sea level will become high enough to make islands go underwater?

2. Why don't people evacuate those islands?

3. Could rising sea levels affect aquifers on the mainland?

Uranium in the Navajo Nation's Water Supply By: Margot-Perez Sullivan, 11/07/11, http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/73115D51AB9860568525794100

Several federal agencies are meeting to address the very serious problem of uranium in the Navajo Nation's water supply. The Navajo Nation spans three states and is around the size of West Virginia. This meeting is to address the problem and to see about how to clean it up. The agencies addressing this problem are the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Energy, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Indian Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The meeting is being held in Farmington New Mexico. This will be the first comprehensive strategy to address uranium contamination in the Navajo Nation.

I can't believe that there is something so deadly in our water supply. It's a surprise that the people of the Navajo Nation were comfortable with their water for so long. If there was something so deadly in my drinking water I would be surviving off bottled water for a long time. It's a relief to know that something is being done about the uranium though.

How long do you think people knew the water was contaminated?

What do you think will be done about this problem?

How do you think the uranium got in the water?

Water Availability in Africa

Water availability in Africa under stress due to increasing population pressure and climate change.
http://www.grida.no/publications/vg/africa/page/3116.aspx

the image displays how Africa's annual precipitation is very low in most areas of Africa.

Africa's water resources are highly dependent on the climate. since there is very little precipitation, there is a very limited supply of water. this creates pressure on the human population of Africa. climate changes such as droughts will cause even more pressure to that issue as well. though those who are poor in Africa have it the worst as they cannot afford water or they don't have access to good clean water. the main reason that no one has water is because it isn't there for the majority of the people, only those in good areas or the rich (whicch is extremely rare). because of this, there will be many economical restraints in Africa as well.

i think that people should be more aware of this problem. it isn't fair for these people to be suffering when other people have the capability to help. the problem is that many people don't have the full picture. sure, they know that Africa is lacking the right amount of water, but no one really knows the extent to which that goes.

how could people help more?
why aren't people talking about this more?
do people find this issue to even be important?

Nestle vs. Oregon: Battle Heats Up Over Columbia River Gorge by Rachel Cernansky, October 28, 2011, http://www.treehugger.com/corporate-responsibility/nestle-vs-oregon-battle-heats-up-over-columbia-river-gorge.html?campaign=th_rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+treehuggersite+%28Treehugger%29

This graphic relates to the article because this is what citizens of Oregon are afraid of what will happen to the Columbia River Gorge after the Nestle company is done taking water from them. 

Nestle owns the bottled water brands Poland Spring, Perrier, Pure Life, and Arrowhead. It is a very successful water company that has been taking water from different places around the U.S. freely. They are trying to tap over 100 million gallons of water from Oregon's Columbia River Gorge. Citizens of Oregon are angry and trying to stop this from happening. There have been more than 4,300 comments and letters pertaining to this situation from citizens of Oregon against Nestle tapping the river. Julia DeGraw, Northwest Organizer for Food & Water Watch said, "Oregon's water belongs to all of us and is too precious to sell off to a multinational bottling company with a track record of leaving some of the communities it enters in worse economic and environmental shape than it found them." Oregon citizens are afraid of what will happen to their drinking water after Nestle has left the river. 

Nestle is the world's top-selling water bottle company, but I don't think they earned this fairly. This article relates to the video we saw in class about Nestle and how they were taking water in Maine, but I didn't know they were taking water in Oregon too. The article says that Nestle has tapped over 100 million gallons of water from Oregon's Columbia River Gorge, and that Oregon citizens aren't happy. I would not be happy about this either and do everything I could to try and save the river. 

Should Nestle not be allowed to take water freely?

Do you think saving the river would be worth the lower profit of the Nestle company(having to lay off workers)?

How many people do you think are affected by this situation?

Home Wreckers by Lindsey Blomberg, August 26, 2011 http://www.emagazine.com/magazine/home-wreckers?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=

http://thecollegedriver.com/posts/984-Car-Exhaust-Turned-Into-Free-Energy

Summary

There are many toxins affecting us that we don't know about. When we brush our teeth, drive our cars, or take a shower. Food coloring, pesticides, cigarette smoke, and car exhaust. These are all things that affect us that we dont even know about. They can cause many forms of cancer and behavioral disorders. Most of these toxins are invisible or go unnoticed which make them even more deadly. We all need to put forth the effort to keep these toxins out of the air and our bodies.

Opinion

I can't believe these chemicals could cause such immense damage to our bodies. A problem like this should be reported or at least to try and cut down on these toxins. The fact that we are usually surrounded by these chemicals makes it even worse. Car exhaust and foo coloring is something we encounter everyday. We should all make an effort to cut down on these harmful toxins.

Why do you think no one has reported this problem?

How long do you think this problem has been going on?

Do you think the companies that produce these chemicals know or even care about what there products do to people?

Plastic Building up in the Pactific

Plastic Seas, Lindsey Blomberg, August 26, 2011

http://www.emagazine.com/magazine/plastic-seas?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+EMagazineIssueFeed+%28E+Magazine+Print+Issue+Feed%29

Garbage is building up in the Pacific Ocean to be bigger than the size of Texas. This huge landfill is located between Hawaii and California, a thousand miles from the land. It is hurting all of the wildlife that is in that area of the Pacific Ocean. Garbage from everywhere is being brought in and is being added to this huge clump. It is said to be the largest landfill in the world. The worst part is, is that this could easily have been prevented. Most of this garbage is plastic, meaning it could have been recycled. There are many people who are trying to see if the massive patch is going to effect the land. 

I personally think this is ridiculous. This clump wouldn't nearly be as big as it is if more people just recycled! I cannot believe how big this clump is, and I don't see what is so hard about recycling. Now all of those people are risking the lives of sea creatures just because they couldn't recycle a bottle. Not only are the animals lives in danger, but the mass could come onto the shore and ruin the beaches! 

1. Why are people not recycling?

2. Can we do anything to try and minimize this mountain of garbage?

3. Is the clump going to effect the land?

I can't believe rainforests are still being chopped down to farm cattle. If we weren't so wasteful we may not have to chop down rainforests to make factories and cattle farms. With all the warnings about chopping down rainforests you would think people would at least slow down the process, but instead the rainforests are being destroyed as quickly as ever. I think people are still cutting them down because they believe we need more cattle or more products coming from the farms and factories that replaced the forests when we have more than plenty here at home.

Why do you think people are still ignoring the warnings about cutting down the forests?

Why are the Rainforests Disappearing?

Summary:

Rainforests all over the world are disappearing due to deforestation. These rainforests are filled with priceless natural resources such as 70% of the plant-based ingredients for cancer medicine. This also includes a vast variety of plants and animals that are very important to the ecosystem. The primary source of deforestation is cattle farming. The farmers cut down large areas of the rainforest to farm, the soil dries up within a few years, and then the farmers chop down more rainforest. This cycle is continuous going on in the world's rainforests. The secondary source of deforestation is logging. The lumber companies will chop down large areas of the rainforest, just to find a small amount of rare woods. This, along with other factors, are causing severe damage to the rainforests, and the WWF predicts that within twenty years, if there is no drastic change in the situation, then two-thirds of the world's rainforests may be extremely damaged or completely destroyed.

Opinion/Reflection:

I was shocked at how fast and destructive deforestation has been for our rainforests. I've known about deforestation for a long time now, but I never expected it to be this bad. Though other things are also much worse than they seem (like the actual amount of money that the oil companies recieve from the government, even though the oil companies are the main contributors to the pollution which throws off the carbon cycle). The fact that the rainforests are being depleted so quickly, only proves that if this rate continues, then we should be expecting some more weird weather over the next couple years.

Questions:

1-Why do you think people would chop down rainforests when its apparently a major cause of global warming?

2-Why would anybody keep cutting down huge amounts of a rainforest to farm cattle, when its obvious that you'll eventually run of soil?

3-Why do you think the United Nations didn't make a strict policy to maintain and rebuild the rainforests that has every able country/large multinational company involved?

I agree with all of you; I think that this should have been put on the news, but I also think that the situation is being handled correctly. Us Americans rely on gasoline for our cars and we would pretty much do anything to make sure that we have it, clean or not! To answer Kathy's question, "How is it that some people don't know what goes on in their own state", all of us did not know that this was happening because it hasn't been in the news. Other than that, the only other way for us to know would be people telling other people and the word would spread.

Opinion/Reflection

I thought this article was very interesting and I'm surprised that I had not heard this before. I don't see why this wouldn't be on the news. It could be a serious potential health risk and people have the right to know. On top of that I never knew flooding could cause problems with gasoline. If I had not heard about this article I may have never found out. I think this is an opportunity to show that we need to rely on other sources of information other than the news to find out what goes on where we live.

Why do you think the news found it unecessary to report this problem?

Opinion/Reflection:

I don't know why I didn't hear about this before. This is weird. When you think about flooding you usually don't think about gasoline trouble. But now that I think about it, it makes sense. However, I do not like how it jeapardizes the air quality in our state. I live in this state - I breathe in the air here everyday.

Question:

Are the clean gasoline requirements dismissed in our area of Pennsylvania?

EPA Approves Emergency Fuel Waiver for Pennsylvania

http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/0F4D90F8FAFFCF608525790900568207

Summary:

Recent flooding in the area has caused a problem with gasoline; it just isn't clean anymore. The EPA is now trying out their new Clean Air Act to temporarily dissmiss the clean gasoline requirements for certain areas of PA. In doing this, it allows gasoline to be distributed with flexibility. Until a normal supply of gasoline can be brought there, this waiver will remain effective. Though this will be a short term waiver, people are concerned about air quality. This is why only certain types of gasoline are being granted the permission to do this.

Reflection:

I had no idea that the flooding had this sort of impact in PA. I didn't hear about any of this in the news or anything. I think that the situation is being handled the correct way. Though people should be talking about these things more.

Questions:

How is it that some people don't know what goes on in their own state?

Why was this not covered in some sort of news?

How could we take this oppertunity to make