Fracking (and this has nothing to do with Battlestar Galactica)

Fracking or hydraulic fracturing is a method of obtaining natural gas from shale rock by injecting high pressure fluid through the rock fracturing it.  The controversy surrounding the process is the same basic controversy that surrounds any other means of obtaining energy.  Can it be done safely?  And what are the possible consequences of a leak or accident?  You find the same basic concerns with oil drilling or nuclear power.  Every source of energy has a trade-off associated with it.

Oil?  There's concern about the environmental impact it has by its use and that's even when it's drilled for safely.

Coal?  Same thing as it's another fossil fuel.

Nuclear?  What about radiation?

We need energy and there's no impact free and risk free way to get it.  There's also the national security concern.  The ability of other countries to impact our fuel needs is a concern.  So what's the answer?  I believe we should use the resources we have.  We should also do it as safely as possible.  If more incentives are needed then let's provide them.  If more oversight and regulations are needed then ok, provide those as well.  If more research, then let's do that as well.  There's no perfect answer, but we should go with the best one.

Here's some links for more information on fracking.

FracTracker
Hydraulic Fracturing Facts from Chesapeake Energy
EPA Page on Hydraulic Fracturing and the Clean Water Act
Wikipedia Page on Hydraulic Fracturing

We Interrupt This News with Breaking News... Hold On This Just In

This clip from JibJab, "What We Call the News" satires the sorry state our news media.  As the video points out news was more about news instead of about flashy graphics.  This is nothing new and we’ve discussed it in class.  It isn’t necessarily about the news itself; it’s about ratings which means it’s about profit.  It’s that motive which dictates what we see on the news.  We get intensive coverage of the latest happenings in the entertainment world but not what’s happening half way around the world.

The clip starts off in black and white to evoke the feeling of 1950’s America when America had more faith in the news programs they watched.  The clip moves to color and shows a hook yanking out Walter Cronkite symbolizing the removal of the sort of integrity he embodied.  The video goes into flashy graphics that overfill the screen leaving no room for the anchor.  The lyrics of the song are also displayed on a running scroll at the bottom of the screen just like today’s news media.  The video then mentions some memorable news stories of the past decade.  We remember them because of the overwhelming amount of coverage they received.  As a final bit of satire the song in the video is interrupted at the end by a breaking news story – President Bush locked out of a room.  So sit back, enjoy the clip and as the song says, let it turn your brain to goo.