The roof! The roof! The roof is on fire!
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The roof! The roof! The roof is on fire!
Hey, that's the United States, as seen from space. Notice the lights of the big cities -- Los Angeles down in the lower left, and Chicago and Milwaukee ringing Lake Michigan in the top right quadrant. And circled at top, coming in as big or bigger than metro areas like Denver or Dall-Fort Worth, is that booming American collosus of Williston, North Dakota.
What the...? OK, here's the deal. When you see the lights of L.A., you're looking at shopping malls, skate parks and millions of homes. When you see the bright lights, big city of North Dakota, you're looking pretty much at just one thing.
Six years ago, this region was close to empty. The few ranchers who lived here produced wheat, alfalfa, oats and corn. The U.S. Geological Survey knew there were oil deposits underground, but deep down, 2 miles below the surface. It wasn't till this century that the industry developed a way to pull that oil to the surface at a cost that made it practical. Fracking, as you probably know, means pumping water and chemicals down pipes, fracturing the rock, releasing the oil. The technology is hugely controversial, in part because of those lights.
When oil comes to the surface, it often brings natural gas with it, and according to North Dakota's Department of Mineral Resources, 29 percent of the natural gas now extracted in North Dakota is flared off. Gas isn't as profitable as oil, and the energy companies don't always build the pipes or systems to carry it away. For a year (with extensions), North Dakota allows drillers to burn gas, just let it flare. There are now so many gas wells burning fires in the North Dakota night, the fracking fields can be seen from deep space.
Those hot gases light up the sky and then they circle the planet -- one reason why 2012 was the hottest record that modern man has recorded.
Think about that...and have a cool weekend.
Comments (29)
More global warming has been caused by the exhalation of bloggers and journalists than by frack well flare offs. Please do the honorable thing, for the sake of humanity and stop exhaling.— Mr. Smith- Blaming global warming on frack wells is childish and misinformed, but I wouldn't call it pathetic.
Pathetic was all the wailing about "Peak Oil" that you opponents of economic development used to inflict on the American people. Whatever happened to Peak Oil, by the way? We must be 2/3 past Peak Oil at the is point, no? We're half way to Mad Max now, aren't we?
That's pathetic.— Mr. Smith - Peak Oil is the reason we're now fracking for it, dope. And that's only economically feasible because the price of oil has tripled in the last decade. What's really pathetic is believing in the oil fairy.
- Economics is the reason, you self-absorbed hillbilly. Market pricing sends the signals we need to allocate resources. We don't need leftist politicians deciding what the price of oil should be. — Mr. Smith
- Cool. I wish we could do this here. Williston is booming. It might be the only boom town in the USA.— Phillies2008WSChamps
- As long as it makes money, who cares? Are you trying to say people are stupid or something?— carl and sons
- One thing at a time. Subway trains have hurt more people than all the fracking in the world. Where's the outrage?— philly2flag
- My name is Will. I have been a liberal for 60 years. I believe that America can have all the energy it needs from burning algae and hamsters running on wheels.— CD75
- At least we have access to healthcare after we're poisoned by the gas drillers.— The Fundamentals of the Economy are Fine
- "As long as it makes money, who cares? Are you trying to say people are stupid or something?" That's AWESOME. Maybe the point here is that the truth is so awful it much be wrapped in deception. Here's a tidbit, I think, of that truth: Nothing will be truly done until its WAY too late, and even then, the acion will be a flimsy attempt. This is ultimate doom reimagined as policy. Might as well go out with a bang.— Murrayman
- The irony is that warmer winters in ND, thanks to global warming, have accommodated accelerated fracking activity, mainly for oil in the Bakken shale, along with an influx of crews idled by the drop-off in fracking activity elsewhere - the victims of falling gas prices and the reason the gas is being burned off rather than captured. We're junkies Will, looking for the cheapest fix and willing to live in filth to get it. Heck, we'll even sell the baby and mortgage the house to mafia loan sharks.
- It seems we waste a LOT of energy trying to light up the sky.— meteo30
- "Williston is booming. It might be the only boom town in the USA" . . . . . . Sure, with transient workers in temporary work camps or motels, but with no promise what will be left once the fracking's done. Such booms always go bust in time. The product makes big profits for awhile for out of town energy companies who have no reason to invest in the local communities from their corporate ivory towers. Don't you dare tax it for local public investment though. And who cares if your land values are lower as a result of the damage done, undermining the stability of your prime local tax base. The drillers by then will be heading for the next boom. Maybe. Or maybe they'll be stuck in your unemployment alines because there's no immediate market elsewhere for their skills.
- Jeez, Monty - you make it sound as if there are NO federal or state EPA guidelines in place for the drillers. Environmental authorities are there to make sure the regulations and laws are being followed.
You might want to give the people of ND a little more credit in managing their own environment...
but then again, maybe thery're not as smart as you guys... yeah, that's probably it.— michael_b - Montani, if you do not like what is going on in N.D., turn in you car and stop using electricity. Turn off the computer. Lead by example. Otherwise, you are just a typical liberal hypocrite.— CD75
- Nah, I'd prefer instead blasting under your house to supply my energy, CD, since you're obviously not a hypocrite. I'm sure you'd love the "boom" it will provide.
- Yes, CD we all know fossil fuels are the only way to generate electricity. Idiot.— CiceroSpuriousDeodatusTheSecond
- How can you be progressive, and be anti-progress?— jmc
- Speaking of gas and hot air, Rand Paul decided it was time to slap Christie's wrist for his comments on Sandy aid and the NRA's commercial on Obama's kids. He warned Christie he may not get the nomination if this continues. I'm no fan of Christie but seriously Paul, Christie ain't hurting your party. It's the numbnuts like you who are killing the GOP now.— chasing history
- I have oil land in Texas, leased to a Dutch company (I don't get paid unless they drill and get the oil, but it has been sounded and is floating in oil). Many wells in Texas are capped right now. All this fracking and stories about how we need to explore ANWAR is not about need. It's about maximizing profits. While I would like to get rich, I want everyone to know that destroying the living space of poor people is not necessary to meet our energy supply needs. We need strong regulations to prevent the poisoning of our fellow citizens and I will gladly give up my dream of getting rich to live in a country that puts the American people first. I mean that.— Hamlet
- montani: I'd stop in a second if there's any damage. There are cases where ground water is contaminated and in those areas the fracking and drilling should stop. But they are the exception. As far as Williston being full of transient people-that is true because it's booming. The mayor expects the boom to last at least 25 years so eventually the infrastructure will catch up. If it wasn't so far away (and so cold), I'd move there tomorrow. Enough of this malaise and leading from behind or whatever democrats call it.— Phillies2008WSChamps
Would someone please define what "reckless Obama spending" the Republicans keep talking about. What new spending bill was passed by the Republican-controlled House of Representatives and not filibustered by the Republicans in the Senate? Or vice versa. I know of no such spending bill being passed. I am asking for specifics here. Something that would have caused a trillion dollar a year deficit.
Or is it past Republican spending and tax policy that are still in effect today? Could it be the $450 billion a year tax cuts that had no offsetting spending reductions? Could it be the 115% or 300 billion plus increase in defense spending with no revenue increase? Could it be the 2 unfunded wars of choice? Could it be the $70 billion a year unfunded Medicare drug program? Could it be the result of the increased interest we are paying on all the debt from the above? Could it be the result of loss of revenue brought on by the great recession brought by the corporate banks and Wall Street?
The question is open to anyone who knows what they're talking about.— wokmaster- "Sure, with transient workers in temporary work camps or motels,"...wait, I thought the government built everything before business could operate. Another Empty Suit dean's list moment.
"The question is open to anyone who knows what they're talking about." This disqualifies The Wok. National debt goes up 70% during Obama's 1st term and it's the Republicans' fault...NICE.— 2ndNlong - FAIL — wokmaster
- Wow, so fire is brighter than street lights. You don't say.
— General Turgidson - It was nice to see the Empty Suit, and the NY gov, re-arranging the deck chairs just in time for the inauguration. It looked good. Forgetting the law enforcement exemption shows the lack of thought in these actions. Hahaha...intellectual high ground...hahhahahaha. What isn't so funny is that school security has been ignored. Parade the kids then throw them back...NICE.— 2ndNlong
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