If fracking fluids are found to be the cause of the illnesses at LeRoy High School, would you change your position on fracking?

http://holisticremediesnews.com/2144/le-roy-mystery-disease-update-...

The symptoms the children at LeRoy High School in LeRoy New York are suffering from are very similar to the neurological symptoms shown in the movie "Split Estate".   The movie documents what citizens in Rocky Mountain States have been living with for years, primarily in the towns of Dish Texas and Denton Texas.

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Permalink Reply by James Young on March 9, 2012 at 7:51am

I was a State EPA guy for over 32 years and a State Energy Department Manager for the last 12.  I make and use Bio-diesel made from waste fryer oil in my cars (VW-TDI's) and farm tractor.  I also helped write the technical manual on the same with Penn State U, I guess I have some knowledge in this area, not just "news reports".   Solar and wind energy are interesting and someday may have a viable place in our energy grid, but currently are NOT cost effective, nor reliable enough at this time.  When solar and wind isn't providing enough, or any energy, power companies need the Coal, NG, and Nuclear to be capable to provide 100% of our power needs 100% of the time.  So the current mega watt power plants are Basically made to do 100%+ of demand, and renewables are unecessary to the power companies, they do not calculate many renewables to meet the instantaneous demand needs of the grid period.  If alternative energy sources had viable payback, Power Companies would put them in on their own without tax dollars.   The only reason any PA power Company I worked with, put any of these things in,  was available Government grant money and State & Federal Green Energy Regulations that Make them do it.  The utility customers will pay for it both ways, taxes and increased electric fees, so the company doesn't care, either way, they'll get paid.  I have 67 wind turbines within eye sight of my house and helped fund them, they move slow and sometimes not at all,  PA is NOT a good wind state!!!  We knew that and still helped pay for them.  The USA's viable energy future lies in better use of natural gas and infrastructure for automobile use of NG.  Making Bio-diesel, ethanol and methane gas recovery for fuel out of waste materials makes perfect sense,  but using raw grain or even food sources is lame to say the least.  And the price of gasoline... well it's a "global market" and supplers are selling it overseas... China and India are paying more and more and the USA has printed so much extra cash that the market is flooded with US Dollars and nothing backing it up... can you say INFLATION.....!!  If the USA went to a diesel-fuel society years ago, instead of a gasoline based one, we would be a little better off, we have 200+ years of coal reserves and the technology to make diesel fuel from coal is old technology,  diesel engines last longer and get up to 2x the mileage than gasoline engines, my VW's get 44 and 49 mpg respectively,  so I have used a least half the fuel to go the same distance as even your better mileage gasoline powered autos (even using waste canola and corn oil)... Just that would save a LOT of petroleum over the long run..... diesel trucks are a little dirtier in the particulate emissions area, but trucks are generally exempt from EPA emissions standards so they didn't have to be made them cleaner,  the new VW TDI meets California emission standards so it can be done.   Europe is a leader in using diesel cars and alternative energy such as wind and solar, mainly because they charge 2-3 times more for electric per KWHr and they have used all of their coal and petroleum (including NG) as a viable energy source years ago...  so they are now buying NG from the Soviet Union, which is not a good place for them to be.

Permalink Reply by Sherry on February 15, 2012 at 4:16am

The only way that sustainable/renewable is going to happen is with government subsidies.  Wind/Solar simply are not advanced enough to provide the energy we need 24/7.  Let's be honest - that's one of the reasons many environmentalists are trying to cause the fear about fracing.  Up until it was discovered the Marcellus and other shale plays held an abundance of natural gas, many of them were touting it as the "bridge fuel", much like T. Boone.  However, they were all for it at that time because it was thought to be a relatively short bridge.  Now that projections hover around the 100-year mark, they realize that bridge spans quite a bit further than they had originally thought.  The abundance of NG these wells are producing have brought down the prices, making the development of other energies less attractive at this time.  See this article from National Geographic last month: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/energy/2012/01/120117-shale...

But what happens when governments subsidize energy sources which aren't adequate for a country's needs?  See what has happened in Germany when it announced they were going to cut their subsidies: http://news.businessweek.com/article.asp?documentKey=1376-LY3AJ31A7...

Here is just an extra credit article about the Questionable Benefits of Wind Power, including a little about solar panels: http://townhall.com/columnists/pauldriessen/2011/02/28/wind_power_q....

And as long as we are talking about "what ifs" - what if we saved enough of our federal money by harvesting our own domestic energy, that some of that money saved could go into a fund designated for designing sustainable/renewable energy sources.  We are already importing less and setting the stage for exporting more?

BTW, here's a graphic that compares how many windmills or solar panels it takes to fuel a city of 100,000 people - compared to other resources - (it's put out by the Mineral Management Services office) http://www.boemre.gov/omm/pacific/kids/Power-Your-City/bookmark-1-p....

I don't believe we need to limit ourselves to one energy source; I do believe what we do have in plentiful supply can complement other energy sources, present and future.

Permalink Reply by Dan on February 15, 2012 at 4:51am

Mark,  I am vacationing on a small Island with less than 100 homes on it.  The sun shines full 99% of the day time hours and I'm sitting here listening to the wind whip by.  The residents pay about about $300 a month for electicity to run their lights and a fridge.  There is only one windmill at one home at the cost of $30,000.  A few pools have about a hudred sq. feet of solar cells to run a very small quiet filter pump.  The electric company burns diesel to generate the power.  If any where in the world could benifit from alternatives it would be here but it is no where near cost effective. 

I hate subsidies!  A small tax deduction for alternative power R&D wouldn't bother me.

Permalink Reply by David Perotto on February 12, 2012 at 2:55pm
Many doctors have said that they believe these tics are a result of psychological condition, not environmental. The school has done testing and they believe their school is free from air quality issues. To throw out this threads title is misleading and irresponsible, based upon the lack of any facts.
Permalink Reply by Howard Markert on February 12, 2012 at 3:30pm

The school has not tested the soil on the playing fields which is both where the wells with spills are located and the part of the property closest to the train derailment, allowing the tests would have the possibility of proving the doctors right or pointing the investigation towards the appropriate source, either the train or the wells.

Permalink Reply by Schnoozie on February 13, 2012 at 4:46am

This is a boring 8th grade debate class arguement.

If you really want to get at the heart of the problems and dangers with methane production in the US, we should come together as a nation and ban..... Taco Bell, Don Pablo's and Pappasitos!!!

Permalink Reply by monty deruyter on February 13, 2012 at 4:52am

HAHA,Methane can't be that bad for you or my wife would have to stop making chile!

Permalink Reply by Linda A on February 13, 2012 at 5:14am

Now, don't laugh, but this is true!  The govt. wanted to TAX the farmer for the Methane gas released into the atmosphere - now wait for it - from cows!  lol  Not a joke - they tried to do that...

So, if it moves, if it smells, if it's consumable, it's taxed...

Permalink Reply by Schnoozie on February 13, 2012 at 5:33am

No!!!!

Please leave Stuffed Cabbage out of over-taxation!!! and the Ham and Black Bean Soup (w-peppers, optional) we always get from our Easter leftovers....this is a travesty, injustice.

Permalink Reply by Linda A on February 13, 2012 at 5:57am

Better be prepared for the U.N.'s Agenda 21!

Permalink Reply by Linda A on February 13, 2012 at 8:47am

that's why they keep BIG fans running in the barns...

'flatulence redistribution'...

Permalink Reply by Howard Markert on February 12, 2012 at 3:32pm

It is my understanding that the EPA issued the citation based on the self reporting of the company and not by sending out an inspector.   Thus no test was conducted of the spill, which is why we don't know its contents.

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