In shadow of oil boom, North Dakota farmers fight contamination
September 8, 2014 10:10 PM Subscribe
“In shadow of oil boom, North Dakota farmers fight contamination” by Laura Gottesdiener for Al Jazeera reports on the conditions faced by farmers in Bottineau County when their fields become polluted with the waste-water from oil drilling operations.
Wastewater, known as “saltwater” because of its high salinity, is a by-product of oil drilling, which has been a boom-and-bust industry in North Dakota since at least the 1930s. Far saltier than ocean water, this wastewater is toxic enough to sterilize land and poison animals that mistakenly drink it. “You never see a saltwater spill produce again,” Artz said, referring to the land affected by the contamination. “Maybe this will be the first, but I doubt it.”
Mod note: A couple of comments deleted. Let's not start off with a derail (Other Thing is bad/worse) the second comment in?
posted by taz (staff) at 11:55 PM on September 8, 2014
posted by taz (staff) at 11:55 PM on September 8, 2014
Water? Pish. No one wants that. I mean, geez, fish piss in it.
But oil? Sweet, sweet oil? That stuff is worth dying for!
posted by five fresh fish at 12:18 AM on September 9, 2014 [2 favorites]
But oil? Sweet, sweet oil? That stuff is worth dying for!
posted by five fresh fish at 12:18 AM on September 9, 2014 [2 favorites]
Gouts of flame from your kitchen faucet? Poisoned water?
We refuse to explain because it's a proprietary formula for energy independence!
Do you hate the economy?
Only the wrong sort complain.
posted by Pudhoho at 3:10 AM on September 9, 2014 [1 favorite]
We refuse to explain because it's a proprietary formula for energy independence!
Do you hate the economy?
Only the wrong sort complain.
posted by Pudhoho at 3:10 AM on September 9, 2014 [1 favorite]
the salt water isn't fracking fluid. it's a waste product co-produced with the hydrocarbons
Doesn't mean the regulatory regime for it is acceptable of course.
posted by JPD at 3:44 AM on September 9, 2014 [1 favorite]
Doesn't mean the regulatory regime for it is acceptable of course.
posted by JPD at 3:44 AM on September 9, 2014 [1 favorite]
I just read about another potential curse. Fugitive methane releases may make fracking as bad at greenhouse gas emissions as coal. A depressing thought if true.
Either way, we're still going to extract these shale formations - we're too dependant on the energy not to. I really don't know what to advocate. Climate change on the one hand, and increased energy costs braking the economy (thus millions of jobs) on the other hand. It's lose lose for the forseeable future.
posted by Popular Ethics at 7:46 AM on September 9, 2014
Either way, we're still going to extract these shale formations - we're too dependant on the energy not to. I really don't know what to advocate. Climate change on the one hand, and increased energy costs braking the economy (thus millions of jobs) on the other hand. It's lose lose for the forseeable future.
posted by Popular Ethics at 7:46 AM on September 9, 2014
Drill, baby, drill.
posted by Mental Wimp at 10:53 AM on September 9, 2014
posted by Mental Wimp at 10:53 AM on September 9, 2014
Popular Ethics:
On the other hand irreversible and possibly catastrophic damage to the planet we live on with many miserable consequences already beginning to manifest including economic decline.
I'm not sure I understand where any uncertainty would enter while considering these options.
If I find myself in a car barreling towards a wall at high speed the least of my concerns is what damage to my financial budget having to replace tires and break pads will do. I'll just hit the breaks as hard as I possibly can.
posted by Hairy Lobster at 11:18 AM on September 9, 2014 [1 favorite]
"I really don't know what to advocate."On the one hand possible economic decline.
On the other hand irreversible and possibly catastrophic damage to the planet we live on with many miserable consequences already beginning to manifest including economic decline.
I'm not sure I understand where any uncertainty would enter while considering these options.
If I find myself in a car barreling towards a wall at high speed the least of my concerns is what damage to my financial budget having to replace tires and break pads will do. I'll just hit the breaks as hard as I possibly can.
posted by Hairy Lobster at 11:18 AM on September 9, 2014 [1 favorite]
Related:
The amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere reached a new record high in 2013, propelled by a surge in levels of carbon dioxide.
posted by Hairy Lobster at 11:41 AM on September 9, 2014
The amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere reached a new record high in 2013, propelled by a surge in levels of carbon dioxide.
posted by Hairy Lobster at 11:41 AM on September 9, 2014
We can eventually find other fuel sources if we're willing to sacrifice a little profit, but once we destroy our water and soil, that's that.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 11:52 AM on September 9, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by The Underpants Monster at 11:52 AM on September 9, 2014 [1 favorite]
How Hillary Clinton's State Department Sold Fracking to the World
posted by jeffburdges at 11:10 PM on September 13, 2014
posted by jeffburdges at 11:10 PM on September 13, 2014
I really understand why reasonable people disagree with me on tracking (I'm unperturbed by it) but surely if you accept fracking as safe its part of Clinton's job to support the export of that know-how.
posted by JPD at 5:44 AM on September 14, 2014
posted by JPD at 5:44 AM on September 14, 2014
Hairy Lobster: I get that argument. I usually frame it that way too. But I've recently come to appreciate just how much impact a drop in the economy can have. Given that so many measures of health depend on family income, losing a job is not just an inconvenience - it could potentially doom you *and your descendants* to a decades long vicious cycle of poverty. Multiply that by millions of jobs, and the cost of damage now vs damage later, and you might (depending on who you ask) approach the costs of the catastrophic environmental damage.
I am in no way advocating abandoning the fight against climate change, but I don't think it's so crazy to say the economics are uncertain. We aren't heading for a brick wall, but we are wearing the road down steadily. The trick is figuring out how prolong the damage while saving for repairs.
posted by Popular Ethics at 2:25 PM on September 14, 2014
I am in no way advocating abandoning the fight against climate change, but I don't think it's so crazy to say the economics are uncertain. We aren't heading for a brick wall, but we are wearing the road down steadily. The trick is figuring out how prolong the damage while saving for repairs.
posted by Popular Ethics at 2:25 PM on September 14, 2014
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Basically all they seem to know is that it's very salty, and it kills things.
People are going to look back on this the way they do on leaded paint.
posted by emptythought at 11:18 PM on September 8, 2014 [6 favorites]