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Author	Topic: Shale Gas to the Climate Rescue	Post a Reply Back to Topics

Gas_Eyes Champion Author Dallas Posts:2,812 Points:671,585 Joined:Mar 2011	Message Posted: Aug 14, 2012 1:33:01 PM Ignore Gas_Eyes Report Abuse The battle against runaway climate change is being lost. The green movement and the energy industry — while engaged in a furious debate on issues from nuclear power to oil sands — are missing the bigger picture. There is little recognition by either side that current policies to reduce carbon dioxide emissions are inadequate for dealing with the threat that they pose. It is the coal-fueled growth of countries like China and India that generates much of these emissions. Unless a cheap, rapidly deployable substitute fuel is found for coal, then it will be next to impossible to safely rein in rising carbon dioxide levels around the world. Although the green movement might at first see shale gas as an enemy in this fight, it may in fact turn out to be a friend. Broad development of shale gas Visit The New York Times for full article

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Dallas

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Message Posted: Aug 14, 2012 1:33:01 PM

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The battle against runaway climate change is being lost. The green movement and the energy industry — while engaged in a furious debate on issues from nuclear power to oil sands — are missing the bigger picture.

There is little recognition by either side that current policies to reduce carbon dioxide emissions are inadequate for dealing with the threat that they pose. It is the coal-fueled growth of countries like China and India that generates much of these emissions. Unless a cheap, rapidly deployable substitute fuel is found for coal, then it will be next to impossible to safely rein in rising carbon dioxide levels around the world.

Although the green movement might at first see shale gas as an enemy in this fight, it may in fact turn out to be a friend. Broad development of shale gas
Visit The New York Times for full article

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DOS All-Star Author Illinois Posts:672 Points:930,500 Joined:Feb 2003	Message Posted: Aug 15, 2012 11:44:56 AM Ignore DOS Report Abuse Interesting that the articles author, Alan Riley, elects to specify "Shale gas" instead of just using the more generic term "Natural Gas" because he is wrong to say that the Green movement "might at first" see Natural gas as the enemy. A lot of us Greens saw Natural gas as a bridge fuel at first; it was only when "Shale gas" became the most common source of new growth in the supply of "Natural gas" that Greens began loosing faith in that energy path. As teafortwo has pointed out, Sloppy harvesting methods embraced in the rush to develop Shale gas has turned out to be a threat to clean water supplies. Not to mention the release of Methane gas at the many of the Shale gas wells.. also a result of SLOPPY shortcuts being used. So it seems to me that a move to promote "Shale" gas is just another diversion from the path to a true cleaner future in developing renewable energy supplies. This is particularly the case in India which has no real infrastructure in place. For them developing "Shale gas" instead of locally produced renewable energy is just a pure waste of time. [Edited by: DOS at 8/15/2012 11:46:23 AM EST]
jbrad4 All-Star Author Dallas Posts:809 Points:498,855 Joined:Nov 2010	Message Posted: Aug 15, 2012 12:58:50 AM Ignore jbrad4 Report Abuse Nat gas has fewer emissions than coal.
teafortwo Champion Author Washington Posts:22,370 Points:1,410,965 Joined:Feb 2009	Message Posted: Aug 15, 2012 12:37:00 AM Ignore teafortwo Report Abuse More BIG GREED industry propaganda for the OIL & GAS bunch. Nothing here but hype and spin all wrapped up in an opinion piece.
NHLiveFree Champion Author New Hampshire Posts:11,289 Points:1,649,075 Joined:Jun 2008	Message Posted: Aug 15, 2012 12:08:34 AM Ignore NHLiveFree Report Abuse Such imaginative industry shill PR. Will wonders never cease???
leeac Champion Author Ohio Posts:1,731 Points:460,630 Joined:Jan 2012	Message Posted: Aug 14, 2012 8:32:17 PM Ignore leeac Report Abuse Yea. Help the climate and screw up the ground water.
doggod Champion Author Anchorage Posts:2,983 Points:768,085 Joined:May 2009	Message Posted: Aug 14, 2012 8:23:01 PM Ignore doggod Report Abuse It's important to keep in mind that environmental organizations don't exist for the purpose of protecting the environment: they exist for the purpose of growing themselves, and the issues they select to champion are those which contribute to that goal. So if they don't get behind things that make sense and actually would help solve the problems they say they're worried about, don't act surprised. Solving the problem would be the worst possible outcome, causing the need for their existence to evaporate and the cushy executive jobs of those making these strategic decisions to go with them. No, look for them to keep pushing flashy, faux solutions so their lives can go on.
Lugi1967 Champion Author Ohio Posts:4,915 Points:1,028,685 Joined:Jun 2010	Message Posted: Aug 14, 2012 7:35:59 PM Ignore Lugi1967 Report Abuse OK
ToolinIt Champion Author Colorado Posts:1,805 Points:911,260 Joined:May 2010	Message Posted: Aug 14, 2012 7:13:58 PM Ignore ToolinIt Report Abuse The NY Times put out this article? I'm shocked!
Venzadriver Champion Author Florida Posts:1,325 Points:366,515 Joined:Dec 2010	Message Posted: Aug 14, 2012 6:52:52 PM Ignore Venzadriver Report Abuse Start implementing algae-based bio-fuels.
davenles Champion Author Texas Posts:3,331 Points:745,385 Joined:May 2011	Message Posted: Aug 14, 2012 6:02:32 PM Ignore davenles Report Abuse climate rescue... really??
RONALD777 Champion Author Houston Posts:3,313 Points:390,455 Joined:Nov 2007	Message Posted: Aug 14, 2012 5:45:47 PM Ignore RONALD777 Report Abuse The climate doesn't need "rescued". Some people just need a brain transplant. Just drill baby drill!
teafortwo Champion Author Washington Posts:22,370 Points:1,410,965 Joined:Feb 2009	Message Posted: Aug 14, 2012 4:38:39 PM Ignore teafortwo Report Abuse The "bigger picture" is that water is essential to life. Not to worry. The BIG GREED industry of OIL & GAS can always go into the water purifying & delivery business. What is a better business plan than to create a need and then fill it?
crep1291 Champion Author Ottawa Posts:2,636 Points:486,070 Joined:Dec 2010	Message Posted: Aug 14, 2012 4:26:30 PM Ignore crep1291 Report Abuse Why would China give up coal when it can burn both the natural gas and the cheap coal it's sitting on? Yeah, natural gas may be cheaper than coal, but that will only encourage waste and inefficiency.
buckets42 Champion Author New Jersey Posts:1,690 Points:329,550 Joined:Oct 2011	Message Posted: Aug 14, 2012 2:34:02 PM Ignore buckets42 Report Abuse Yep
98 Sophomore Author Madison Posts:100 Points:68,600 Joined:Aug 2012	Message Posted: Aug 14, 2012 2:13:43 PM Ignore 98 Report Abuse Nice
335d1 Champion Author Virginia Posts:2,519 Points:785,770 Joined:Feb 2011	Message Posted: Aug 14, 2012 1:37:28 PM Ignore 335d1 Report Abuse We'll see about that.