Categories
Quick Analysis

Boom in Energy Spurs Industry in the Rust Belt

This article was submitted by Ted Flinta radio commentator with significant experience in state legislative affairs

“A Real Game Changer,” read the headlines in a recent edition of the New York Times. A dramatic surge in domestic oil production is transforming the economies of many states across the country. This seismic shift in the fortunes of these once decaying states is directly attributed to hydraulic fracturing: horizontally drilling thousands of feet below the earth’s surface to extract natural gas deposits trapped in shale.

35 states allow ‘fracking’ and the economic turnaround in many of these states has been significant. Pennsylvania, Ohio, the Virginias and more than 30 others are reaping the benefits of the boom.

Why do some states refrain from taking advantage of this bonanza?  Consider a prime example: New York.

Active TB in many methods affects the sexual life of husband and buying viagra in india wife. The best part about kamagra tadalafil 20mg price is that it goes hand in hand with sports psychology. Environmental Factors Floors should be buying cheap cialis dry and not slippery. All areas undergoing the generic cialis online assessment will be identified and prevented. NY’s Governor Cuomo is afraid of the political fallout from the environmental Left. Although he alleges that “science” will decide the issue, the practical effect of Mr. Cuomo and others opposed to natural gas drilling is to limit Americans’ access to a plentiful and economical source of fuel. According to a new report cited by the American Petroleum Institute, horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing were responsible for 48 percent of U.S. oil production and trimmed up to $0.94 per gallon from fuel prices in 2013. And despite the Left’s animus toward big oil, the industry supports 9.8 million jobs and is responsible for eight percent of the U.S. economy.

Opponents of ‘fracking’ have conveyed the demonstrably incorrect belief that the process contaminates ground water and exposes residents to air pollution. There is a growing body of evidence that debunks this assertion. According to a recent column by Chris Faulkner, CEO of Breitling Energy Corp., and author of “The Fracking Truth,” Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection monitored numerous fracking sites across the state and found that nearby levels of carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide and other key pollutants did not exceed federal air quality standards. Similar studies were done in Texas and West Virginia and they reached the same conclusion: oil and gas operations do not endanger air quality.

The issue for the Left has never been about fear of groundwater contamination, because there has never been one incident when that has happened, it’s all about reducing consumption in order to “save the planet.” If gas prices were under two dollars a gallon (where they were when George W. Bush left office) Americans would have more disposable income and could spend their hard-earned dollars on things other than transportation.

The scientifically wrong position taken by environmental extremist’s is harming not only the American consumer, but Europeans as well.  Due to the limited supply from the U.S., Moscow, with its abundant resources, has been able to blackmail European nations who require Russian energy for their economic survival.