What does modern natural gas development have in common with early railroads, electricity and indoor plumbing? Well, each of those major Victorian age innovations spurred entire industries, replaced old ways of doing things and greatly improved people’s everyday lives. Today we depend on railroads, electricity, and modern plumbing and take them for granted. But when first introduced all were feared and vigorously opposed by much of the public. Sound familiar? History repeats…

Many people ask me if they should join a landowners’ group. The answer I give varies, but most often it is my least favorite answer to any question: “It depends.” To appreciate this answer, let’s examine two of the more common forms of landowner groups.

Grass Roots Groups. Some landowner groups are grass-roots efforts by local landowners who join together to promote education and the sharing of information in advance of low-ball leasing efforts of landmen and…

We notice a new phrase cropping up a lot lately in the arguments of NIMBY types and other anti-growth advocates – “forest fragmentation.” It sounds ominous, of course, and, therefore, our friends on the other side of the natural gas debate have seized upon it. There’s nothing negative that doesn’t make them go wobbly in the knees, after all. Recently, some of those folks have turned to a USGS report on Bradford and Washington Counties for evidence natural gas development will somehow leave…

A recent tour of natural gas development operations in northeastern Pennsylvania provided Countryside Conservancy supporters with new insights on the process. It was a welcome opportunity to share the facts often getting lost in the debate. The tour hosted around 25 people some of whom own land under conservancy protection and the rest being local folks from the Wilkes Barre and Scranton areas. Conservancy Executive Director, Bill Kern, arranged the tour to provide friends of the group with…

A group of French and Canadian media, as well as members of the French delegation traveled to Dimock, Pennsylvania for a natural gas well site tour last weekend. France sent the government officials to Pennsylvania specifically for them to gather information about natural gas development and report what they learned. This group was part of a larger tour consisting of activists from Quebec and members of their legislature conducting a “window” tour of natural gas activity in the Marcellus…

A few weeks ago the Oneonta Star printed two AP stories with no apparent connection. However, what I call “The Gas Wars” make for strange bedfellows, even on the news beat. Let me explain the connection.

The first story was a report out of the Empire Center, a non-partisan think tank that focuses on New York. In “The Graying of the Empire State: Some Parts of NY Grow Older Faster,” the researchers highlighted the growing regional differences in age distribution, particularly in young…

Damascus, Pennsylvania, is home to me. I grew up there on a farm my great-grandfather established in the late 1800s and his grandfather is buried in the Hillside Cemetery there. I graduated from the same Damascus High School my parents did and had some of the same teachers. My mother, my brothers, my son and grandson all call it home, too. I own land there that I leased for energy development long before I ever heard of Energy In Depth. I’m related to most of the folks who live in Tyler Hill…

Early the other morning Joe and I traveled to Dimock, Pennsylvania to talk with some residents about “the box” Energy in Depth has mentioned in a couple different posts. The box is a nine square mile area in Dimock where Cabot Oil and Gas was temporarily forced to stop all production until further notice from the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The DEP has officially given Cabot Oil and Gas the go ahead to continue exploring natural gas wells that have already been prepped for…

In his “Dot Earth” blog for The New York Times, writer Andrew Revkin recently wrote (8/31/12) that a frequent talking point for natural gas foes is “the prospect of gas companies poised to deploy a forest of rigs to drill 50,000 wells.” A forest of rigs would indeed be a frightening prospect, but it’s really nowhere on the horizon – not now, nor ever.…

The following is a letter Sondra Bauernfeind, a retired schoolteacher from Sullivan County, New York recently sent our Governor, Andrew Cuomo in an appeal for action to address Sullivan County, New York’s long pressing economic development crisis. "I offer it in the hope others will also write him and share their sentiments as well. The time for action on our economic crisis is now and the remedy is right before our eyes – natural gas. Please review and write a letter of your own."…

This week, we’ve been looking at the group “Artists Against Fracking” and their misinformation campaign to stop natural gas development in New York. Part I delved into a recent radio campaign by Michelle Williams, and for Part II we’ve been looking at co-founder, Sean Lennon’s, recent opinion piece in the New York Times. So, let’s just take another few moments to Imagine if all these artists took the time to do some real research on natural gas development.…

This week, we’ve been looking at the group “Artists Against Fracking” and their misinformation campaign to stop natural gas development in New York. Part I delved into a recent radio campaign by Michelle Williams, and for Part II we’ll be looking at co-founder, Sean Lennon’s, recent opinion piece in the New York Times. So, let’s just take a few moments to Imagine if all these artists took the time to do some real research on natural gas development.

Sean Lennon isn’t really an artist…

An invasion occurred in the City of Albany, New York on Monday. Groups of antis came from all over to protest gas development coming to New York. The apparent goal of this “Stop The Frack” movement was to show Governor Cuomo how many people are against development. As they flooded the streets with their brown water jugs, colorful signs and summer camp chants one question had to be asked, where were Governor Cuomo and the other politicians this demonstration was aimed at?…

The newly developed “Artists Against Fracking” campaign has left me utterly perplexed. Here you have individuals who have the potential to do a lot of good but rather are jumping on a bandwagon filled with misinformation. They believe by maligning a proven technology they are clearing the way for expanded use of renewable energy sources.  Ignoring, or simply being unaware, that the technology they are seeking to ban is helping the U.S. lead the world in carbon emissions reductions and is…

Denise LaTourette says:

As a landowner and business owner, I am greatly concerned about hydraulic fracturing. I have studied both sides of the issue, and based on extensive research and factual science, have determined that I support natural gas harvesting in New York. At the same time, I am extremely dismayed by the fracturing of our communities in this highly emotional issue. On August 22nd and 23rd, the Village of Oxford, New York heard presentations by Mr. Robert Wedlake and David…

Rachael says:

My most entertaining meeting of the past week was one held in Oxford, New York, Chenango County. If you’ll revisit my last post on Oxford you’ll get the background on what has been happening in the area, where both the Town and Village of Oxford (separate but related municipalities) have been addressing natural gas issues. The meeting this past week was an informational meeting with Attorney David Slottje with the Village of Oxford planning board. The village board wants…

Attorney David Slottje, as any reader of this blog knows, has been traversing Upstate New York encouraging towns to enact resolutions limiting natural gas development. What began as bans turned into moratoriums, but the intent has remained the same.  That is to implement as many actions as possible in support of the Community Environmental Defense Council’s mission of protecting “land, air, water, health, and quality of life threatened by…

The North Norwich, New York (Chenango County) town board invited David Slottje (the “Great Davidski“) to speak on the process of enacting a moratorium this past week. The town board, at the outset of the meeting, told the audience Slottje’s invitation didn’t necessarily mean they were looking to enact a moratorium or were against natural gas development, although one has to wonder why they invited him then, given his reputation as a hawker of the Park Foundation agenda. The meeting was, as I…

There was a rather interesting town board meeting in the Town of Smithville, New York, Chenango County, recently. The town board agreed to let a couple speakers (one from each side of the natural gas development debate) come in and speak. The first person to present was a peak oil activist, newsletter editor and “retired geologist,” Brian Brock, from Franklin, New York (he’s apparently been “retired” a long time as he is not listed in any professional group’s database). The second speaker…

An extremely hot issue at the present time involves “post-production” costs and “deductions” that are being taken by gas companies from landowner’s royalty checks. Most landowners receiving royalty checks over the last few years have been receiving royalty payments under standard gas company “form” or “boilerplate” Leases. These “form” or “boilerplate” Leases do not seek to…