Natural Gas // Current

The 'Kill the Drill' Campaign To Ban Gas Drilling In The NYC Watershed

Members and Supporters of The Kill The Drill Campaign held a rally prior to delivering... more

peoplesmovement
added this
9 days ago
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2 comments

Information from Prevel Consulting You Don't Want To See

Cap and Trade and the Environment: It will probably not come as a surprise that this... more

plusaf
added this
11 days ago
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9 comments

Surfrider's Camry Hybrid Doesn't Use Gasoline

How do you make a Toyota Camry Hybrid even more green? Rip out the conventional... more

MPGomatic
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12 days ago
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5 comments

Health Issues Follow Natural Gas Drilling In Texas

Vast new natural gas fields have opened up thanks to an advanced drilling technique.... more

atomiclegion
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23 days ago
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San Francisco recruits, as Obama deliberates Afghanistan troop surge

San Francisco's Blue Angels recruitment drive was more excruciating than ever this... more

Ann_Garrison
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1 month ago
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17Million NGV's by 2015? I've heard that before...

Natural gas vehicles (NGVs) have been in the marketplace for a long time, but despite... more

mbk220
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1 month ago
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1 comment

No More "Drill Baby Drill" In Utah!

Salazar said at a media briefing that 17 parcels were approved for drilling and eight... more

atomiclegion
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1 month ago
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3 comments

Alt Fuel Muscle: Natural Gas Power in a Mustang

Maybe T. Boone Pickens is onto something ... MPGomatic.com gets the scoop on IMPCO's... more

MPGomatic
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1 month ago
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0 comments

Lower Winter Heating Costs Ahead for Some

There's good news for people who heat their homes with natural gas.

ebindelglass
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1 month ago
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Water contamination threatens U.S. push for natural gas

Wyoming (Reuters) - Louis Meeks, a burly 59-year-old alfalfa farmer, fills a metal trough with water from his well and watches an oily sheen form on the surface which gives off a faint odor of paint.

He points to small bubbles that appear in the water, and a thin ring of foam around the edge.

Meeks is convinced that energy companies drilling for natural gas in this central Wyoming farming community have poisoned his water and ruined his health.

A recent report by the Environmental Protection Agency suggests he just might have a case -- and that the multi-billion dollar industry may have a problem on its hands. EPA tests found his well contained what it termed 14 "contaminants of concern."

It tested 39 wells in the Pavillion area this year, and said in August that 11 were contaminated. The agency did not identify the cause but said gas drilling was a possibility.

What's happened to the water supply in Pavillion could have repercussions for the nation's energy policies. As a clean-burning fuel with giant reserves in the United States, natural gas is central to plans for reducing U.S. dependence on foreign oil.

But aggressive development is drawing new scrutiny from residents who live near gas fields, even in energy-intensive states such as Wyoming, where one in five jobs are linked to the oil and gas industry which contributed more than $15 billion the state economy in 2007.

People living near gas drilling facilities in states including Pennsylvania, Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming have complained that their water has turned cloudy, foul-smelling, or even black as a result of chemicals used in a drilling technique called hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking."

The industry contends drilling chemicals are heavily diluted and injected safely into gas reservoirs thousands of feet beneath aquifers, so they will never seep into drinking water supplies.

"There has never been a documented case of fracking that's contaminated wells or groundwater," said Randy Teeuwen, a spokesman for EnCana Corp, Canada's second-largest energy company, which operates 248 wells in the Pavillion and nearby Muddy Ridge fields.

"We know they don't have the science to prove what they say," Teeuwen said of those who criticize fracking.
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Consider that last gloating remark: "We know they don't have the science to prove what they say," Teeuwen said of those who criticize fracking." In other words, we know we can lie and they can't prove otherwise. Never been a "documented" case doesn't mean it isn't happening. It just hasn't been allowed to be "documented" because once again we see industry playing the same games with profit over health by using the water as an open sewer.
Where are the solar panels?Wyoming (Reuters) - Louis Meeks, a burly 59-year-old alfalfa farmer, fills a metal... more

JanforGore
added this
1 month ago
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3 comments

Brace yourselves for life after oil

The debate rages over whether we have already reached the point of peak world oil output or will not do so until at least the next decade. There can, however, be little doubt of one thing: We are moving from an era in which oil was the world's principal energy source to one in which petroleum alternatives -- especially renewable supplies derived from the sun, wind and waves -- will provide an ever larger share of our total supply. But buckle your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy ride under Xtreme conditions.

It would, of course, be ideal if the shift from dwindling oil to its climate-friendly successors were to happen smoothly via a mammoth, well-coordinated, interlaced system of wind, solar, tidal, geothermal and other renewable energy installations. Unfortunately, this is unlikely to occur. Instead, we will surely first pass through an era characterized by excessive reliance on oil's final, least attractive reserves along with coal, heavily polluting "unconventional" hydrocarbons like Canadian oil sands, and other unappealing fuel choices.

There can be no question that Barack Obama and many members of Congress would like to accelerate a shift from oil dependency to non-polluting alternatives. As the president said in January, "We will commit ourselves to steady, focused, pragmatic pursuit of an America that is free from our [oil] dependence and empowered by a new energy economy that puts millions of our citizens to work." Indeed, the $787 billion economic stimulus package he signed in February provided $11 billion to modernize the nation's electrical grid, $14 billion in tax incentives to businesses to invest in renewable energy, $6 billion to states for energy efficiency initiatives, and billions more directed to research on renewable sources of energy. More of the same can be expected if a sweeping climate bill is passed by Congress. The version of the bill recently passed by the House of Representatives, for example, mandates that 20 percent of U.S. electrical production be supplied by renewable energy by 2020.

But here's the bad news: Even if all these initiatives were to pass, and more like them many times over, it would still take decades for this country to substantially reduce its dependence on oil and other non-renewable, polluting fuels. So great is our demand for energy, and so well-entrenched the existing systems for delivering the fuels we consume, that (barring a staggering surprise) we will remain for years to come in a no-man's-land between the Petroleum Age and an age that will see the great flowering of renewable energy. Think of this interim period as -- to give it a label -- the Era of Xtreme Energy, and in just about every sense imaginable from pricing to climate change, it is bound to be an ugly time.

much much more at link...The debate rages over whether we have already reached the point of peak world oil... more

WakeUpPeople
added this
2 months ago
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38 comments

Frack fluid spill in Pennsylvania contaminates stream killing fish

As far as I am concerned, if it is toxic in any way and pollutes land, water or air, it is not GREEN. That includes nuclear and natural gas.

Excerpt:

Pennsylvania environment officials are racing to clean up as much as 8,000 gallons of dangerous drilling fluids after a series of spills at a natural gas production site near the town of Dimock last week.

The spills, which occurred at a well site run by Cabot Oil and Gas, involve a compound manufactured by Halliburton that is described as a "potential carcinogen" and is used in the drilling process of hydraulic fracturing, according to state officials. The contaminants have seeped into a nearby creek, where a fish kill was reported by the state Department of Environmental Protection. The DEP also reported fish "swimming erratically."

The incident is the latest in a series of environmental problems [1] connected to Cabot’s drilling in the Dimock area. Last winter, drinking water in several area homes [2] was found to contain metals and methane gas that state officials determined leaked underground from Cabot wells. And in the spring, the company was fined for several other spills, including an 800-gallon diesel spill from a truck that overturned.

Dimock, Penn.Neither Cabot Oil and Gas nor Halliburton immediately returned calls for comment on Monday. A Halliburton spokesperson sent an e-mail referring any questions to information on the company’s Web site.

DEP officials were also unavailable for interviews, but said through e-mail that faulty piping is suspected and that they have not confirmed the exact cause of the spill. A press spokesperson said to expect an announcement and actions toward Cabot by Tuesday.

ProPublica interviewed state officials several months ago about drilling problems in Dimock [1]. "Cabot has definitely had their share of problems out there," Craig Lobins, a regional oil and gas division director, said then. "Some of them is just being a little bit careless … or sloppy, or maybe a little bit of bad luck too."

The drilling fluid spill Wednesday may be the most serious yet, because it involves chemicals that are known to pose a risk to human health and has spread into the area’s surface water system.

end of excerptAs far as I am concerned, if it is toxic in any way and pollutes land, water or air,... more

JanforGore
added this
2 months ago
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1 comment

Rediscovering Natural Gas By Hitting Rock Bottom

"It's the biggest thing I've ever even heard of," says Ray Walker, vice president of... more

Mike_Johnston
added this
2 months ago
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1 comment

Natural Gas Getting Boxed Out of Climate Bill

Natural gas prices are at a 7-year low, it generates less emissions than coal, and we... more

TheodoreSouza
added this
3 months ago
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2 comments

Judge Blocks Drilling in Colorado Wildlife Refuge

U.S. District Court Judge Walker Miller Thursday issued a preliminary injunction... more

tbhurst
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3 months ago
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3 comments

$Chemicals found in Wyoming drinking water might be from fracking$

Chemicals found in Wyoming drinking water might be from fracking

Louis Meeks’ well water contains methane gas, hydrocarbons, lead and copper,... more

JanforGore
added this
3 months ago
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2 comments

Iran/Russia - a deadly embrace

Pepe Escobar revisits the New Great Game, Part 1 The Bush administration has tried... more

Vierotchka
added this
4 months ago
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12 comments

Natural Gas Fuel; A Bridge To....What?

Last year T. Boone Pickens brought the concept of natural gas as a vehicle fuel into the national stream of consciousness when he launched his “Pickens Plan”. Since then the concept has evolved to the point where there are several pieces of legislation making their way through Congress (Natural Gas Act of 2009)and the Senate which will encourage the more widespread implementation of this “green” fossil fuel. Recent estimates of the natural gas reserves in the United States indicate that we have a 100 year supply which is equal to all of the oil in Saudi Arabia. Pickens and his supporters are calling natural gas a bridge fuel to a greener tomorrow but some critics seem unsure of how this could work.

In this story I will attempt to answer those doubts by building that bridge in realistic terms from readily available information. In simplest terms Pickens CNG “bridge” can extend the time we have to transition to another vehicle fuel no matter what type. In a previous story (Why The Future of Transportation Fuel Is Hydrogen)I pointed out that hydrogen fuel is the logical choice as our eventual primary fuel because, when produced from water using solar or wind energy, it is 100% non polluting and 100% renewable. In addition, in the near term, it is the one fuel which can be produced from anything domestically available that we are currently using as a fuel including fossil sources and renewables. From my perspective Pickens has created the best, most viable option for a transition to 100% clean hydrogen fuel.

Hydrogen energy has, to this point, faced a lot of obstacles because it requires a specialized storage and distribution infrastructure and, even though it can be used with our familiar, internal combustion engine powered vehicles (with the proper storage and fuel system), the cost of the infrastructure necessary combined with the fact that it is much better to use hydrogen with fuel cell vehicles in order to take advantage of its full potential and the cost of producing hydrogen have all served to keep hydrogen energy stalled at the verge of being implemented. In financial terms it is something of a chicken or egg scenario; do we build the infrastructure with no cars available or build the cars with no infrastructure or invest hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars into building both simultaneously?

Pickens idea of using natural gas as the vehicle to transport us into an independent, green energy transportation future provides the only viable option from the perspectives of both economic viability and seamlessness of transition. In fact India has been quietly pursuing this same concept for at least the past 5 years or more and doing it from an angle that is not even mentioned as an option in the US.

It started when the Indian government mandated that all public vehicles in Delhi be converted to run on CNG fuel in order to cut pollution in the city. CNG fuel produces 25% less CO2 pollution than gasoline vehicles and 90% fewer other pollutants. From there the concept evolved into one where the vehicles are running on a mix of CNG and hydrogen fuel. This mixture further reduces CO2 pollution by a percentage roughly equal to the percentage of hydrogen mixed into the CNG stream. In a press release from this past January it was revealed that all of the Indian car manufacturers are now working together to develop cars for retail sale which will be optimized to run on this fuel mix.

Clink link above to read entire story...Last year T. Boone Pickens brought the concept of natural gas as a vehicle fuel into... more