What The... Frack

The EPA found over 20 years ago that Horizontal Hydraulic Fracturing (Fracking) contaminates water. In 2005 President George W. Bush signed legislation exempting gas drillers that use fracking techniques from the Clean Water regulation. So much has been spoken, recorded and documented about how fracking is destroying water supplies by polluting them not just with methane (natural gas) but also with a cornucopia of toxic materials, that I am not going to focus on that in this blog. Suffice it to say that the EPA which is beholden to politicians who are beholden to the corporations will do to fracking what S&P did with CDO securities leading to the housing bubble. They will ignore it, down play it, defend it, until everyone gets hurt and then they will issue a no-brainer statement.


Watch actor Mark Ruffalo talk about this topic with Keith Olbermann on Current TV. Mark Ruffalo figured out that as a beneficiary of public goodwill through his art, he owed society something. And he figured he owed society a voice to defend the millions of us who are blinded and mislead by the pretty advertising by the Oil and Natural Gas companies and Industry Groups (lobbies).


Here are some take aways from this interview:

• Allowing Fracking as a trade-off to fazing off old Nuclear Power Facilities is trading one lousy form of energy for another.
• Fracturing sets off mini earthquakes which over time threaten the structural integrity of homes near fracking sites.
• USA Today said that today's highest paying jobs in the fastest growing sector of the ecomony is Green Energy Tech. 
• Gas is not the answer. Gas is the bridge to another 40 years of Carbon based fuels.
• A New York based fracking company got busted PUMPING IN 150,000 gallons of diesel fuel into the ground. They could pump in any toxic soup and they are not accountable.
• The water coming out of the fracked landscape cannot be recycled. Its laden with Radium, Uranium and all kinds of toxic substances. Its causing our sewage and water treatment facilities to shut down.
• Josh Fox's movie Gasland did more to bring this issue to light than anyone in the media or environmental activists could. He took a camera and went into Rural America. He discovered that rural communities after being destroyed turned to who else but the fracking companies for support, signing NDAs (Non Disclosure Agreements) in exchange for money and silence because now their homes and properties were worthless.

DIY: Extend your gas dollars through hypermiling and other techniques

Its true. I speak from personal experience. Using the techniques mentioned below, I increased the fuel efficiency of my Honda Civic from 24mpg to 30mpg. That translated to an annual saving of about $300!!

Here's how you can do it.

- Hypermiling is when you turn off the engine and let the car run on its own momentum. Consider doing this when you are nearing a traffic signal and you know its going to be a while before the light turns green. You may also want to do this when you are going down a gentle incline. Remember though that without engine power, you will have a harder time steering the wheel, so be careful with this. Dont do this on a stiff incline by any means. Thats just plain asking for trouble. For more tips on what NOT to do because that would be risky, please see http://hypermilingblog.com/is-hypermiling-legal

- Never idle more than 5 seconds. Its a myth of the past that if restarting the engine requires more fuel that simply idling it. That used to be the case in the days of the carburettor. Not so any more with the electronically controlled fuel injection.

- Close your gas cap all the way till you here a click. Every years about 150 million gallons of gas are lost in the US alone thanks to fuel evaporation.

- Every car has an optimum speed range. Usually it is between 55 and 66 mph. Driving in this range gets you the most fuel efficiency. Do not overspeed on the freeway.

- Check the tire pressure and make sure it matches the manufacturer's recommendation

- Get rid of "stuff" sitting in your trunk. The heavier the "Stuff", the lighter your wallet will be

- Air filters must be changed atleast every other time you go for an oil change

- Check your spark plugs and be aware that you may need to replace them a few times a year

- Avoid short trips in city traffic. Combine errands to reduce the number of trips to the grocery store or the mall.