Marcellus & Utica Shale Story Links: Tue, Mar 19, 2013

The “best of the rest” – stories that caught MDN’s eye that you may be interested in reading:

New York

Sustainable Markets Foundation Money Processing Being Noticed
Energy in Depth – NMI
The Associated Press (AP) has noted Yoko Ono’s “Artists Against Fracking” is collecting money to influence public policy in New York but hasn’t bother registering as a lobby group.  The article is worth reading and exposes the hypocrisy of the privileged 1% who attack the natural gas industry for lobbying efforts. Here we provide some additional facts the article missed.

Blueblood agenda
NY Post
Gov. Cuomo has put natural-gas development on hold yet again, plainly thanks to the power of New York’s environmental lobby.

National

Fighting fracking in Colorado with help from Dr. Seuss
Akron Beacon Journal
FRACKING (With a Nod to Dr. Seuss) Elizabeth Hudetz read this poem while testifying in front of the Fort Collins City Council on March 5 prior to the council voting on banning fracking within the city limits.

Energy Journal: Saudis Catch the Shale Bug
Wall Street Journal
After months of resentful glances or outright disdain, OPEC has suddenly decided to embrace the main threat to its dominance of world energy trade-fracking for shale oil and gas.

Shale Boom Alone Won’t Propel U.S. Industry
Wall Street Journal
Cheap energy flowing from the U.S. shale-gas boom is often touted as a “game changer” for manufacturing. Despite the benefits of lower energy costs, however, the game hasn’t changed dramatically for most American manufacturers.

Tales from the EPA
Heartland.org
On a recent work-related field trip to Washington D.C., I had the opportunity to pose some questions to EPA Senior Policy Advisor for Oil and Natural Gas, Bob Sussman.

Truth or Hype: Deconstructing “Don’t Frack My Mother”
National Geographic
“Don’t Frack My Mother.” That’s the title of a catchy folk song now making the web rounds, written by Beatles scion Sean Lennon and performed by Yoko Ono, Liv Tyler, and assorted other celebrities.

Scientists consider effects of fracturing
Mysanantonio.com
Goldstein, who spoke on a panel about the effects of hydraulic fracturing at the Society of Toxicology’s annual meeting and ToxExpo at the Convention Center, was among several scientists this week calling for more data and monitoring of the rapid increase in oil and gas activity across the country.

Idemitsu, Mitsui Consider U.S. Chemical Plant on Cheap Gas
Bloomberg
Japanese oil refiner Idemitsu Kosan Co. (5019) and trading company Mitsui & Co. (8031) will consider building a petrochemical plant in the U.S. to take advantage of cheap natural gas.

What’s the Best Natural Gas Policy for the United States?
Motley Fool
Over the past decade, the emergence of shale fracking has unlocked a natural gas bonanza in the United States. Production has exploded, and prices have fallen so low that natural gas fuel, chemical production, and even exports have become economic possibilities. But what’s the best path forward?