County, Opinion

A Look at the West: Anti-frackers undermining Colorado’s environmental progress

OPED_FBpostRBC I Fear-mongering has been the favored tactic of environmental activists in their zeal to defend local fracking bans.

In Colorado, for example, they recently claimed that allowing fracking would poison drinking water, pollute the air, and turn communities into toxic wastelands. Too bad for them that the Colorado Supreme Court didn’t buckle under their pressure—and just issued a unanimous decision to overturn local anti-fracking measures.
Don’t expect green activists nationwide to give up on their crusade. Despite mountains of research showing that fracking is safe—and the force behind plummeting greenhouse gas emissions—they remain hell-bent in their efforts to misinform the public.
If anything, hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, proves the success of the U.S. energy model. Recent advances have made it possible to recover natural gas deposits that were once unreachable.
The resulting shale gas boom has unlocked a 100-year supply of affordable energy and triggered a tectonic shift in the way we generate electricity. Natural gas is now the nation’s leading source of electricity, helping to decrease greenhouse gas emissions to their lowest levels in almost 20 years.
Emissions are so low, in fact, that the United States has actually met and improved on the standards set out in the Kyoto Protocol—despite never having signed the treaty. That’s something many of our green-leaning allies have failed to achieve.
Environmentalists should be celebrating this green bonanza.
After all, they once championed natural gas for exactly its cleaner-burning properties. In 2009, environmentalist Robert Kennedy, Jr. noted that “natural gas is an obvious bridge fuel to the ‘new’ energy economy.”
But then alarmism won the day.
Now the green camp forges ahead with “just say no” opposition to the U.S. energy model altogether.
A favorite accusation is that fracking contaminates groundwater. Never mind that fracking typically extracts gas from thousands of feet underground, well below the depths of a couple hundred feet, where groundwater typically sits.
What’s more, not a single instance of contamination has ever been documented.
It’s not for lack of trying.
Researchers at the University of Cincinnati spent three years investigating fracking’s effects on state water supplies, only to conclude that “hydraulic fracturing of oil and gas wells … does not contaminate ground water.”
In May 2013, researchers at Duke University and the U.S. Geological Survey sampled 127 water wells in Arkansas, determining there was “no evidence of groundwater contamination from shale gas production.”
And despite a five-year investigation into fracking critics’ charges, the federal Environmental Protection Agency itself came up empty.
In sum, more than 1.2 million wells across the nation have been fracked—and not a shred of evidence to support the anti-frackers’ claims has turned up.
To be sure, drilling for natural gas is not a risk-free proposition. But government regulations and the industry’s own internal checks ensure that U.S. energy exploration is safe.
We also should keep in mind the alternatives.
When it comes to the environment, natural gas beats the alternatives. And it sure beats importing our energy from overseas, where regulatory standards are often lax and the money goes to support oppressive or unstable governments and their unfriendly leaders.
The U.S. energy model is working.
Innovations like fracking have kept energy affordable while cutting carbon emissions to fight climate change. Americans should resist anti-fracking hysteria and see environmentalists’ fear-based charges for what they are—anti-energy policy unsupported by real science.

Regina Thomson is president of the Colorado Issues Coalition.

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It’s getting late, do you know where your kids are? Read all the Rio Happenings for this week in print or online at ht1885.com.
It’s getting late, do you know where your kids are? Read all the Rio Happenings for this week in print or online at ht1885.com.
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Mormon crickets have hatched near Rangely. They were all sighted on BLM land north of Hwy. 64 near the junction of CR 96 and CR 1, down a dirt road near the Moffat County line.  The picture shown was taken yesterday by Mary Meinen from Rangely. She says the crickets are about the size of a ladybug (less than 1/2”). Some of them are actually yellow in color but most of them are darker. They are milling around and getting ready to start moving soon. Note: Photo is not to scale.
Rio Blanco County and the White River and Douglas Creek Conservation Districts are still asking for your help to identify additional hatch-outs of crickets so that control efforts can be put in place. The success of the program will highly depend upon local landowners and the public helping to locate crickets as soon as they hatch.  See last week’s paper for a list of ways to help or contact the County Weed & Pest District at 970-878-9670 or the Conservation District office at 970-878-9838 with any questions. Website: www.WhiteRiverCD.com
Mormon crickets have hatched near Rangely. They were all sighted on BLM land north of Hwy. 64 near the junction of CR 96 and CR 1, down a dirt road near the Moffat County line. The picture shown was taken yesterday by Mary Meinen from Rangely. She says the crickets are about the size of a ladybug (less than 1/2”). Some of them are actually yellow in color but most of them are darker. They are milling around and getting ready to start moving soon. Note: Photo is not to scale. Rio Blanco County and the White River and Douglas Creek Conservation Districts are still asking for your help to identify additional hatch-outs of crickets so that control efforts can be put in place. The success of the program will highly depend upon local landowners and the public helping to locate crickets as soon as they hatch. See last week’s paper for a list of ways to help or contact the County Weed & Pest District at 970-878-9670 or the Conservation District office at 970-878-9838 with any questions. Website: www.WhiteRiverCD.com
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A crew from the Flat Tops Chapter of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation joined forces last summer to remove obsolete fences to improve habitat for wildlife. Read the full story and the foundation’s update from their 30th Anniversary meeting in this week’s edition and online at ht1885.com.
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The winning teams and individuals for the 18th annual White River Community Association Buy-Fly Fishing Tournament are as follows. Individual top weight catch was Dave Metrovich and longest fish was Kevin Massey. First place team won by Rio Blanco Abstract: Erik Eckman, Adam Parrett, Dave Metrovich and Wayne Kirkpatrick. Second place team was Drake Consulting: Travis Kaiser, John Douglas, Tony Bartolomucci and Bob Brandeberry. Third place team Mr. Rogers and the Hood (accepted by Doug Rogers) Gary Rogers, Mark Beauchamp, Kyle Schutte and Rick Gunter. The white fish have been frozen and will be served at the annual White River Community Association fish fry fundraiser in June.
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Cowboy Carson Klinzmann on the mound for Meeker at Suplizio Field in Grand Junction last Saturday. Meeker took on the 4A Rifle Bears, losing 11-1, and the Basalt Longhorns, losing 7-3. Read the recap online at ht1885.com.
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