Thursday, January 23, 2014

Supreme Court Support of Municipalities' Rights in Fracking Bans

Last month, a Pennsylvania real-life legal drama about the rights of municipalities to keep fracking out of their communities ended with a  supreme court ruling in favor of... the municipalities.


This was obviously a source of relief for fractivists and not such a good thing for hydraulic fracturing drilling (gas and oil) companies.


The debate - and the fighting - about these fracking bans is sure to go on, with business advocates asking for more leeway and environmentalists asking for more protection.


You can read more about the debate in the following Mansfield News Journal article about the supreme court decision and its possible effect on Ohio fracking, but note that the newspaper only allows a limited number of views per reader without a paid subscription.



Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Rocking in Ohio: What Does Disney Mean to You?

For those, of us who grew up watching Mickey Mouse's antics, and sleeping beauty fall in love with Prince Charming, the name Disney means wholesome entertainment.


So, when many parent's hear radio Disney is presenting a shoe called Rocking in Ohio - the connection to the name Disney means no alarm bells go off in our heads.


After failing to quell the curiosity and satisfactorily answer the questions presented by fractivists about the safety of fracking, the gas and oil industry has moved on to attempt to influence the view on fracking in the next generation of citizens, the children - via a partnership with radio Disney called Rocking in Ohio.


Rocking in Ohio is a traveling musical show - presented game show style - to encourage active participation in youth and families - funded completely by the Ohio Oil and Gas Energy Education Program (OOGEEP).


This alliance of entertainment and a hot button political and environmental issue raises questions in my mind.
  • If fracking is as harmless as claimed, why can't the gas and oil companies prove it? Fractivists find lots and lots of examples of times it is unsafe.
  • Why do the gas and oil companies have to throw big money into influencing children with fun music and gifts?
  • Do gas and oil companies really think fractivists don't teach their children to think for themselves?
  • What does Disney really stand for now? It used to be wholesome entertainment, but what is it now? Making money from any industry willing to shell out big bucks - no matter how beleaguered the industry is with questions about its lack of safety?
So, tell me, if you want, what does Disney mean to you and what do you think of the an industry that tries to use children as pawns in the fracking debate?


Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Ohio Frac Map

This short post is just to provide a link to the most recently published (September 2013) Ohio fracking map.

The dots on the map represent wells and sites where well permits have been granted.

You can put your cursor over the color-coded well dots to get more information about each well.

The name of the site hosting this information map is Innovation Ohio, and you can view the map by simply clicking the link if interested in learning more about frac wells in your community or that have been approved to come into your community.