Anti-Drilling/Fossil Fuel

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    Minnesota Film Festival Bows to Pressure, Censors FrackNation

    It looks like the peace-loving, open-minded, love and daisies anti-drilling liberals have bullied another venue into dropping a screening of the pro-drilling (and highly recommend) FrackNation. The Frozen River Film Festival in Winona, MN said they had been pressured by libs from Mountain Film in Telluride and the Sundance Film Festival. And so they caved and went running with their tail between their legs instead of standing up for free speech and an alternative view.

    Ever notice how free speech only applies when mouthy anti-drillers want to shut down a public meeting or show their propaganda somewhere–but when the other side wants to talk or show a film, it’s “off with their heads!” Hypocrites–the lot of them. Here’s an update from MDN friend and FrackNation director and star Phelim McAleer about Frozen River Film Festival’s censorship of his film…
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    “Enviro” Groups: Keep Acid Mine Drainage So Drillers Can’t Use It

    How to Be Your Own Selfish PigGet this: Environmentalists (like those at PennEnvironment) hate fossil fuels from shale drilling so much, they would rather have millions of gallons of acid mine drainage pour into creeks and rivers in PA every day rather than let shale drillers use that drainage as a fracking fluid–thereby freeing up fresh water sources and solving one of the state’s most pernicious long-term pollution problems. Anti-drillers can’t stand the idea that drillers might, in any way, be perceived as helping the environment. Talk about selfish pigs.

    The residents in PA should be outraged at the 35 groups listed below, including PennEnvironment, that sent a letter last Thursday to political leaders asking them to abandon support for one of the best ideas to roll around in generations–cleaning up acid mine drainage by using it as a fracking fluid…
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    Heinz Spent $3.3M in 2013 on Anti-Drilling Research/Activities

    It now becomes crystal-clear (as if there were ever any doubt) about why the Heinz Endowments, under the direction of Teresa Heinz Kerry, fired its president Bobby Vagt and a couple of other senior members of the Endowments team: Heinz herself is through and through anti-drilling. Attempting to spread a thin veneer of euphemistic language, the Heinz Endowments admits that last year they provided $3.3 million of their considerable warchest to support anti-drilling organizations and causes. Oh, they don’t call it that, but that’s exactly what it is: Every single “cause” they funded took aim at shale drilling–to stop it, not make it better. With people like the Heinz’s there is no attempting a reasoned, considered “how can we improve this” approach. Instead, it’s a “how do we eliminate these evil, nasty drillers–eradicate them from the face of the earth” approach.

    Some of the recipients of Teresa’s largess last year include anti-drilling “studies” at Ivy League schools like Yale, Harvard and Cornell, and anti-drilling “activities” at non-profits like FracTracker Alliance. Contrast that with the tiny bit of money Vagt tried to spend to help create the very strict (too strict in our opinion) Center for Sustainable Shale Development–an alliance between drillers and environmental groups–getting both sides to the table and to agree. That one made mamma Teresa really mad, so Bobby had to go bye bye. We can’t have any talk of a “third way” and cooperation in shale exploration. It’s “no way” for the Heinz clan when it comes to shale…
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    Article Falsely Implies Driller Interested in S Maryland Drilling

    A highly misleading headline (and article) running in an AOL-based “local” Patch publication trumpets, “Energy Company Eyeing Gas Basin that Runs Under Southern Maryland.” The “deck” or smaller headline under it goes on to reinforce this misconception by saying, “A gas basin underneath five counties in Southern Maryland is drawing a Texas-based energy company’s attention.” Both statements are, in a way true. However, the impression they leave–that a Texas driller is actively looking to lease land in southern MD for shale drilling, is 100% false. Hence another propaganda campaign is born by another anti-drilling “reporter.”

    This particular falsehood is aimed at whipping up Marylanders against common sense regulations that would allow shale drilling in the Marcellus–which is only found under parts of two MD counties in extreme western Maryland’s panhandle area–Garrett and Allegany counties. Landowners in that area have been stymied almost as along as landowners in New York State–locked in an ongoing moratorium while politicians dither and preen. MDN has already told you about the shale basin mentioned in this new Patch story which drillers want to tap–in Virginia (see Fracking Finally on the Way in Virginia? Maybe Yes, Maybe No). The same basin underlying parts of VA, called the Taylorsville, underlies a few counties in southern MD too. But not one driller has mentioned leasing any land in anti-drilling MD. Quite the opposite–they’re staying away from Maryland like it’s radioactive…
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    Fracking Justice Denied NY Landowners Yet Again Thanks to NY AG

    justice delayed is justice deniedA liberal New York judge has just just granted New York State an additional month and a half to get their act together to respond to the Article 78 lawsuit filed by attorney Tom West on behalf Norse Energy. You may recall West filed the lawsuit in the middle of December in an attempt to force Gov. Andrew Cuomo, DEC Commissioner Joe Martens, and Health Commissioner Nirav Shah to actually do their jobs (see Norse Energy Sues Gov. Cuomo to Force Release of Fracking Regs). It’s been 5 1/2 long years and the state continues to intentionally delay the release of fracking regulations–the delay, which is now obvious to everyone, is for political reasons. The delays eventually sent Norse Energy into bankruptcy. The company can’t even sell their leases via auction to compensate shafted investors because of the continuing delay by Cuomo. West was hired to force the governor and his minions to suck it up and do their jobs.

    How does the state respond? Cuomo’s Attorney General Eric Schneiderman (a strong anti-driller himself) has found a sympathetic lib judge to, incredibly, further delay! Until March 7 (instead of the scheduled January 24)–to give the state “more time” to…I don’t know, to do what? Make more coffee runs to Dunkin Donuts? Apparently 5 1/2 years isn’t enough time! West said it’s this very kind of delay tactic that prompted Norse to file the lawsuit in the first place! So now, justice is delayed yet again. You know the old saying, justice delayed is justice denied. Landowners in NY have certainly been denied justice under this corrupt governor and his AG…
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    Out of Control EPA Exposed, Indicted by their Own Emails

    The Washington Free Beacon is reporting that through Freedom of Information requests, a link has been exposed between the federal Environmental Protection Agency and national so-called environmental groups. Emails show close coordination of “messaging” (i.e. propaganda campaigns). The emails also show, in MDN’s opinion, how these environmental groups and the federal government itself is manipulating rank and file citizens–shaping and influencing their opinion to get them to do the bidding of the elitists who run those organizations. What the evidence shows is that truth is a casualty and coordination of propaganda reigns supreme inside the Barack Obama/Gina McCarthy EPA.

    We certainly hope Congress initiates hearings to get to the bottom of these unethical and likely illegal activities–and put a stop to it…
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    Bobby Vagt Leaves Heinz, Will Become Chairman of Rice Energy

    Looks like Bobby Vagt, current and soon to be former president of the Heinz Endowments, will get the last laugh. Vagt, you may recall, announced his “retirement” as president of the Heinz Endowments in October of last year. It has never been confirmed, but there’s plenty of anecdotal evidence to suggest mommie dearest Teresa Heinz Kerry bounced him out for his participation in helping to form the Center for Sustainable Shale Development (see Bobby Vagt Out as Pres of Heinz Endowments – Fracking Connection?). Momma Teresa never gave Bobby permission to get that cozy with the drilling industry, and that, dear friends, was a no-no for Bobby.

    So Bobby is taking off. And where is he going? To become chairman of the board at Rice Energy, once they complete their IPO (see Rice Energy Launches IPO, Hopes to Raise $840M). Bobby is already a wealthy man, but helping to steer the direction of Rice Energy will no doubt make him a lot wealthier. Which is amusing to MDN. You see, Bobby is making his money the old-fashioned way–he’s earning it. Momma Teresa made her money the liberal way–she married it. Here’s the story about Bobby saying bye-bye to Teresa and heading off to (much) greener pastures…
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    Breaking: NY Court Decisions in Binghamton & Sidney Cases

    exclusiveAn important development in two New York court cases that potentially impacts shale drilling in the state–and no, neither is (directly) about the Dryden or Middlefield town ban cases currently before New York’s highest court, the Court of Appeals. The two cases we’re referring to are (1) the City of Binghamton and their ill-fated “moratorium” thrown out by a lower court judge in 2012 and subsequently appealed, and (2) a similar moratorium in the Town of Sidney, NY.

    In the Binghamton case, the appeal of the tossed-out fracking moratorium authored by anti-drilling husband and wife team of David and Helen Slottje has been withdrawn–so that case is now officially ended and the moratorium remains tossed and unenforceable. This is big news with big implications. In the case of Sidney, the judge in that case (different judge from the Binghamton case) issued a decision yesterday, but as of the time we wrote and posted this story, we still do not have a copy of the decision. We’ll post it as soon as we get it. Let’s dive deeper into both cases…

    (Important update at the end of this article)
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    PA Democrat Gov Candidates Support Partial/Full Moratorium

    Last night, eight Democrat candidates participated in a forum in Philadelphia, all of them seeking the Democrat nomination for governor to run this November. Pay close attention: Seven of the eight support a shale drilling moratorium–either statewide or in certain parts of the state. This is profoundly bad news if the good citizens of PA are unwise enough to elect one of them to the governorship.

    If you want a good idea of the calamity that awaits PA in choosing a Democrat governor, House and Senate, PLEASE read (or re-read) MDN contributor Chris Acker’s article here: Guest Post: Pennsylvania Drilling Moratorium – Good or Bad?. Here’s how it played out last night in Philly with regard to Democrat support for a moratorium on shale drilling:
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    Natural Gas’ “Unfair Advantage” over Wind and Solar

    Yet another novel argument is being trotted out by the militant green left–natural gas an an “unfair” advantage. You see, it’s just too darn easy to build a pipeline–compared with putting up an electrical transmission line. That’s the cockamamie argument now being made by renewable energy zealots like Jaafar Rizvi, writing in Grist Magazine.

    As MDN has shouted for years now–the shale drilling debate is not really about water contamination, truck traffic and “fugitive” methane–it’s really about a few misguided people who want to pick your energy source for you–and for everyone else too. They irrationally hate fossil fuels because fossil fuels, including natural gas, threaten to slow the adoption of so-called renewable sources of energy, like wind and solar. How do wind and solar energy get to market? Via high voltage electricity transmission lines. According to Mr. Rizvi, it’s not a fair playing field between natgas pipelines and electric transmission lines…
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    MoveOn.org Launches FrackingFighter Campaign (Try not to Laugh)

    The extreme left wing group MoveOn.org has spawned a new effort called Fracking Fighters which “seeks to slow down the fracking boom that is anticipated to occur across the United States in 2014 and beyond.” They’ve decided to put a massive $50,000 behind the effort. So far they’ve gotten 100 signups for their trouble. Big whup.

    For those too young to remember, MoveOn.org was started in 1998 to encourage Congress to “move on” and forget about impeaching then President Bill Clinton who lied under oath (perjury) about getting a bj in the Oval Office from intern Monica Lewinski. Getting a bj in the White House is a resume enhancer for the moral-less left–they secretly envied Bill and wanted to be just like him. Long after bj Bill had left town, MoveOn stuck around to support other really important causes, like slowing down fracking. Wait, it’s OK for Bill to frack, but not anyone else? How does that work??…
    Read More “MoveOn.org Launches FrackingFighter Campaign (Try not to Laugh)”

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    Radio Disney Pressured, Pulls Out of OH O&G Education Program

    Radio Disney had been participating in a tour of elementary schools in Ohio as part of an education project that, among other things, educates kids on how oil and gas drilling and pipelines work. Called “Rocking in Ohio” the program’s intent is to foster interest in science and technology. Because the tour is sponsored by the Ohio and Gas Energy Education Program and partially funded by the drilling industry, the anti-drilling brigade came out in force and has now pressured Disney into withdrawing from the program. We can’t have the truth getting out there in song and dance, ya know!

    Few American-based media outlets are covering the story, so we have to get the Disney story from the pro-terrorist Al Jazeera America network. You know, the network that paid Al Gore a gazillion dollars for his dying Current TV network, finally making Al a rich man and giving Al Jazeera access to American airways to spread their garbage. The network that hires CNN has-beens like Soledad O’Brien to put a pretty face on an ugly network. The network that loves to air terrorists beheading people? Yeah, that network–the network owned by Middle Eastern oil sheiks who fear fracking will end their massive wealth gives us the Disney pulling out in Ohio story…
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    Sierra Club, LWV Chooses Coal over NatGas in South Jersey

    Hey, the next member of the New Jersey Sierra Club or NJ League of [Liberal Democrat] Women Voters you meet, shake their hand–pump it up and down hard–and congratulate them on damaging the environment in South Jersey, which is what they’ve just done. South Jersey Gas wanted to run a 22-mile natural gas pipeline that would power an electric generating plant–replacing coal that powers the plant now–and also bring natural gas to residential homes in beautiful Cape May County, NJ. But so-called environmental groups like the Sierra Club and members of the LWV objected and pressured regulators to reject the proposal because the pipeline would run through an area of scrub pine trees that happen to grow in sandy soil. It was rejected even though the pipeline would mostly follow roadways and existing rights-of-way and would largely not disturb the so-called forest.

    Nah, this one was far to easy to demagogue with talk about “pristine this” and “undeveloped that.” Throw in some magic phrases, and nag the *#$@ out of regulators, and you have yourself a rejection. So now, residents in Cape May will continue to breathe dirtier air and continue to heat their homes in winter with oil instead of clean-burning natural gas. Thanks Sierra Club and LWV! You’re real champs of the environment…
    Read More “Sierra Club, LWV Chooses Coal over NatGas in South Jersey”

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    Sierra Club Gets What They Want in OH, and It’s a Big Fat Nothing

    The anti-drilling Sierra Club–an organization that once lauded natural gas as an energy bridge to the future but now hates it (because it’s a good fundraiser for them to demonize it)–went fishing for information in Ohio, and came up with nothing. The Sierra Club previously sued the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources (ODNR) seeking all documentation (emails, etc.) for the case of D&L Energy/Hardrock Excavating–the company that repeatedly dumped untreated frack wastewater in the dead of night down a drain–untreated wastewater that ended up in the Mahoning River (see Youngstown Business Dumped >200K Gal of Untreated Wastewater).

    Not only did the ODNR immediately take strong action against the perpetrators of this environmental crime by shutting down the companies involved, the drilling industry itself loudly and strongly condemned it. Not good enough for the Sierra Clubers. They thought there may be some teeny tiny sliver of something they could demagogue and use in yet another fundraising letter–if only they could sort through the pile of communications surrounding the case. So they sued. The ODNR finally relented and gave them what they wanted–and according to the Sierra Clubers, there were “few new details” in the document dump. In other words, it was a colossal waste of time and taxpayer money…
    Read More “Sierra Club Gets What They Want in OH, and It’s a Big Fat Nothing”

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    Former PA Parks Head John Norbeck Joins the Anti-Drilling Brigade

    Sadly, the former head of Pennsylvania’s state park system, John Norbeck, has thrown in his lot with the strongly anti-drilling PennFuture organization and will become its vice president and chief operating officer. PennFuture has worked tirelessly to obstruct and stop drilling wherever and whenever it can. Apparently Norbeck was a closet anti-driller all along. Who knew?…
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    Top 10 Marcellus Anti-Drilling Stories of 2013, Courtesy NPR

    MDN and RBN Energy weren’t the only blog sites to do a top 10. Our post was, in our humble opinion, a serious analysis and “think piece” to give those concerned with Marcellus and Utica Shale drilling perspective on the big issues of last year (see MDN’s Top 10 Most Important Stories of 2013 – Our View). RBN Energy’s top 10 looked at the entire country (see today’s story of RBN’s top 10 2014 predictions). MDN and RBN were not alone.

    It seems everyone and their sister was doing top 10 pieces last week, including the reliably anti-drilling StateImpact Pennsylvania–which is a couple of NPR reporters who hate fossil fuels writing about energy and about those evil, nasty Republicans that support shale drilling in PA. We found their top 10 list rather amusing and thought you might too…
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