David Letterman on Fracking

I can't say I've ever thought much one way or the other about David Letterman, but after his recent stance against fracking I might pay a bit more attention. Letterman recently spoke out against fracking. To read a summary of his anti-fracking speech or to watch the video, click here.

My short version summary of what Letterman had to say about fracking:

• Shame on the gas and oil companies for ruining the country.
• We're screwed.

Hey Frackers, Stop Fracking Until the Drought Is Over, Please

With northern Ohio (the part of Ohio most immediately affected by fracking's water-depleting effect) now officially in a drought, the question is, who gets the water when there is a water shortage? The people who need drinking water to survive and farmers who need water to grow food for people to consume in order to survive? Or fracking drillers who want the water to get more gas out of the ground and increase profits.

I know this is dreaming, but hey, gas drillers, how about you halt fracking until the drought passes? The needs of human beings should come before the profit-related wants of a business. This is your chance to show an iota of ethics - or to show once and for all a total lack of ethics and to let environmentalists know they are right about your industry.

(Oh, and by the way I'm not saying natural gas drillers are unethical. I'm actually keeping my opinions to myself and simply challenging the frackers to show they do have some ethics. We'll all know the answer by what they do.)

Shale Map Concerns and Demotion of Ohio's Top Geologist

According to an article in the Zanesville Times Recorder, Ohio's top geologist demoted following shale map concerns, a series of errors, primarily linked to the gas and oil fracking industry, has led to the demotion of Ohio's top geologist, Mr. L. Wickstrom.

Based on an April 12 employee evaluation form cited in the article, Wickstrom's fracking-related grievances include:

• Wickstrom developed a new Utica shale map and presented it to the Ohio Gas & Oil Association four days before allowing his supervisors to review it. The map shows where the Utica shale is buried and in what form, "dry gas, wet gas or oil." (Zanesville Times Recorder)
• Wickstrom waited until January 17 to report the January 12 2.1 magnitude earthquake near Youngstown to his superiors.