TJ SEPT 23 Study, understand shale gas issue I read the article entitled Energy Firm to Party Leaders: No Shale Gas Without Fracking published in the Telegraph-Journal on Sept. 17. After having read the whole article a couple of times, I ended up having many more questions than satisfying answers. I suggest that people read the work of J. David Hughes, a geoscientist with four decades of experience analyzing Canada’s energy resources. Mr. Hughes has been working for 32 years with Geological Survey of Canada. In his landmark report of 178 pages published in February 2013 and entitled“Drill, Baby, Drill”, Mr. Hughes takes a far-ranging and painstaking look at the prospects for various unconventional fuels to provide energy abundance for the United States in the 21st Century. While the report examines a range of energy sources the centerpiece of“Drill, Baby, Drill”is a critical analysis of shale gas and shale oil (tight oil) and the potential of a shale“revolution.”His report can found at: shale- bubble.org/drill-baby-drill/ The report contains 108 charts (figures). If we take the time to study and understand each chart, we will see that the old saying a picture is worth a thousand words is still true. If we want to help our leaders to make good decisions, we need to gain reliable knowledge on this issue. Governments at any level are always faithful mirrors of the quality of collective consciousness. I hope you will find my comments helpful. Miville Couture Saint John AND DG SEPT 23 Leave it in the ground until we’re certain it’s safe Re: Shale gas development Richard Blacquiere may be frustrated with the concerns many New Brunswickers have expressed about the development of shale gas. But the fact remains that these are legitimate concerns that must be addressed and not ridiculed. For many years researchers at the same Mc-Gill University quoted in Mr. Blacquiere’s commentary claimed that asbestos was not injurious to one’s health. No need to wonder why there is lingering mistrust of the big energy players. Let’s be realistic. Their goal is to generate profit, not to help governments pay down the debt or to keep New Brunswickers healthy and working at home. In the quest for bigger profits, they finance research like the many papers that were published by McGill University designed to convince us that asbestos was not dangerous to our health and that it’s all about job creation and economic development. Yes, job creation and economic development are important. But so is a healthy environment. Let’s focus on sustainable development that will help improve the environment in which we live, not degrade it. A few months ago the federal government released a report on the Environmental impacts of Shale Gas Extraction in Canada produced by the Council of Canadian Academics. This report stated,“although the technologies and techniques used in extracting shale gas are understood, more research and information is needed on the potential environmental impacts that could result from this process.” Overall, the report indicated that well-targeted science is required to ensure a better understanding of the environmental impacts of shale gas development and that currently, data about environmental impacts are neither sufficient nor conclusive. I vote to leave shale gas in the ground until we are positive its extraction will do no harm. After all, it’s money in the bank, a resource that over time will only increase in value. Maurice Lavigne Fredericton --
Posted on: Wed, 24 Sep 2014 22:16:16 +0000
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