Blowing at Windmills

By Patricia Zick @PCZick Even when I think I’m being reasonable and moderate, I still walk a fine line with some folks. “What do you want us to do, blow on windmills until we have enough power to fuel all our energy needs?” my brother asked me recently. The question came after I tried to

Another Dangerous Side to Fracking

By Patricia Zick @PCZick I don’t usually post on Sundays, but I wanted to share this series of articles from the Beaver County Times. Saturday’s story explores “brine” or wastewater disposal. Sunday’s piece (not yet posted online) profiles a driver of one of the trucks hauling away the wastewater. The disposal of what comes out

Fracking Dilemma – It’s Not the Promised Land

By Patricia Zick @PCZick I recently went to see the new movie Promised Land starring Matt Damon, as rising star salesman Steve Butler. What does Steve sell? The promised glory to landowners if only they’ll sell off the rights to their land so the power companies can drill for natural gas on their property. Steve

Fracking Power

Sierra magazine published an article in its July/August 2012 issue called the “Fracking Nightmare.” I read the article with interest since I live atop the Marcellus shale region of western Pennsylvania. Washington County considered the “honeypot” for the “wet gas” resources underground. Those resources include propane, butane, ethane and other profitable chemicals. Interestingly, until 2010,