Advantage Answers
Manufacturing
Status quo drilling solves dependence- plan doesn’t accelerate this uniquely
Plumer, author @ The Washington Post, 8-23-12,
Brad, “Five things to know about Mitt Romney’s energy plan,”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/wp/2012/08/23/five-things-to-know-about-mitt-romneysenergy-plan/
1) The United States is already shrinking its imports of oil and gas. It’s unclear how much Romney’s plan would
accelerate the process. Over the past decade, thanks to advances in drilling techniques, the United States
has been producing ever-greater quantities of oil and gas from places like North Dakota’s shale formations.
Under existing policies , according to the Energy Information Administration, the United States is on pace to
eliminate all natural gas imports by 2020 and shrink its net oil imports down to 38 percent . About
two-thirds of those imports will come from Canada and Mexico. So we’ll be fairly close to North
American energy independence in 2020 regardless . (And, EIA notes, we’ll get even closer if the Obama
administration extends its new fuel-economy standards from 2017 to 2025.)
Manufacturing strong now – if anything can hurt it, it will be the Eurozone
FLOYD NORRIS – NYT – 1/5/12, Manufacturing Is Surprising Bright Spot in U.S. Economy,
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/06/business/us-manufacturing-is-a-bright-spot-for-the-economy.html
For the first time in many years, manufacturing stands out as an area of strength in the American
economy. When the Labor Department reports December employment numbers on Friday, it is expected that manufacturing
companies will have added jobs in two consecutive years. Until last year, there had not been a single year when manufacturing
employment rose since 1997. And this week the Institute for Supply Management, which has been surveying American manufacturers
since 1948, reported that its employment index for December was 55.1, the highest reading since June. Any number above 50
indicates that more companies say they are hiring than say they are reducing employment. There were new signs Thursday that the
overall jobs climate was improving, as the Labor Department reported that new claims for unemployment benefits fell last week and a
payroll company’s report showed strong growth in private-sector jobs in December. As stores have filled with inexpensive imports
from China and other Asian countries, the perception has risen that the United States no longer makes much of anything. Certainly
there has been a long decline in manufacturing employment, which peaked in 1979 at 19.6 million
workers. Now even with hiring over the last two years, the figure is 11.8 million, a decline of 40
percent from the high. But those numbers obscure the fact that the United States remains a
manufacturing power, albeit one that has been forced to specialize in higher-value items because its
labor costs are far above those in Asia. The value of American manufactured exports over a 12-month period peaked at
$1.095 trillion in the summer of 2008, just before the credit crisis caused world trade volumes to plunge. At the low, the 12-month
figure fell below $800 billion, but it has since climbed back to $1.074 trillion. Those figures are not adjusted for inflation. In total
exports, including manufactured goods as well as other commodities like agricultural products, the
United States ranked second in the world in 2010, behind China but just ahead of Germany. For the first 10 months of
2011, Germany is slightly ahead of the United States. The United States is particularly strong in machinery,
chemicals and transportation equipment, which together make up nearly half of the exports. Exports
of computers and electronic products are growing, but are well below their precrisis levels. Production of cheaper
computers and parts shifted to Asia long ago. Just how long the rise in manufactured exports can last depends,
in part, on the health of other economies. The euro zone no longer takes as large a share of American
exports as it once did, but it is still a major customer. A recession there this year, as has been widely
forecast, would hurt all major exporters, including the United States . Similarly, the strong exports provide a
stark reminder of how vulnerable this country could be to protectionist trade wars. The Doha round of world trade talks, which was
supposed to result in the lowering of more trade barriers, has stalled. And last month China imposed punitive duties on imports of
American large cars and sport utility vehicles, which total about $4 billion a year. That move was seen as retaliation for United States
requests that the World Trade Organization rule that Chinese subsidies for its solar and poultry industries violated international law.
The Chinese denounced those requests as protectionist. The American government denies that, of course. “Part of a foundation of a
rules-based system is dispute settlement," said Ron Kirk, the United States trade representative, in an interview with Reuters after the
Chinese announced the new tariffs. "That’s what we think is so important about the W.T.O. How China reacts to that is up to China.
But I just cannot buy into the argument that our standing and protecting the rights of our exporters and workers is somehow igniting a
trade war or being protectionist.” Since employment in the United States hit its recent low, in February 2010, the economy has added
2.4 million jobs through November, of which 302,000 were in manufacturing. With government payrolls shrinking, and financial
services jobs also fewer, manufacturing employment has played an important role in keeping the economy growing. It also is helping
that construction employment appears to have hit bottom. In the first 11 months of 2011, it is up a small amount. To be sure, the gains
in manufacturing employment and exports have come after sharp declines during the recession and credit crisis. There are still 6
percent fewer manufacturing jobs than there were when President Obama took office at the beginning of 2009, and it seems very
unlikely that he will be the first president since Bill Clinton, in his first term, to preside over growing manufacturing employment
during a four-year term. During George W. Bush’s two terms, the number of manufacturing jobs fell by 17 percent in the first four
years and by 12 percent in the following four years. The number declined by 1 percent in Mr. Clinton’s second term. The Institute for
Supply Management survey of manufacturers has shown more companies planning to hire than to fire in every month since October
2009. That string of 27 months is the longest such string since 1972, but remains well behind the longest one, 36 months, which ended
in December 1966. Over all, that survey has indicated that a plurality of companies has believed business is getting better for 29
consecutive months, and December’s reading of 53.9 was the strongest since June. This summer, one widely watched part of the
Institute for Supply Management survey showed that a small plurality of companies reported new orders were falling, a fact that
helped to stimulate talk of a double-dip recession. But the latest reading, of 57.6, indicates widespread strength in new orders. In an
economy where there is widespread concern over consumer spending, and in which government
spending and payrolls are under heavy pressure, manufacturing has become a bright spot. It is not
enough to produce a strong rebound, and it remains vulnerable to weakness overseas. But it has helped to keep a weak economic
recovery from turning into a new recession.
Manufacturing decline inevitable and it’s not key
MGI 12, Mckinsey Global Institute – research branch of the Mckinsey management consulting company,
“Trading myths: Addressing misconceptions about trade, jobs, and competitiveness”, May,
http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/mgi/research/productivity_competitiveness_and_growth/six_myths_abo
ut_trade
The trade
balance of mature economies has remained largely stable in the aggregate and even begun to
improve. There are wide variations between individual countries, but no evidence supports claims of a wholesale
deterioration of the trade balance between the mature and emerging economies over the past decade.
Myth: Manufactured goods drive deteriorating trade deficits. Reality: Imports of primary resources, whose prices have been
rising sharply, are the largest negative contributor to the trade balance of mature economies. In 2008,
mature economies ran a 3.3 percent of GDP trade deficit in primary resources but a 0.5 percent of
GDP surplus in manufactured goods and specifically a 1.6 percent surplus in knowledge-intensive
manufacturing. Some individual mature countries run trade deficits in knowledge-intensive
manufacturing. Myth: Trade is at the heart of the loss of manufacturing jobs. Reality: Changes in the composition of demand
and ongoing productivity increases are the main reasons for the decline in the number of such jobs in mature economies. The share
of manufacturing in these countries’ total employment is bound to decline further, from 12 percent
today to less than 10 percent in 2030, according to our analysis . MGI finds that trade or offshoring are responsible
Myth: Mature economies are losing out to emerging markets in trade and thus face increasing trade deficits. Reality:
for the loss of around 20 percent of the 5.8 million US manufacturing jobs eliminated between 2000 and 2010.
Chemical industry dying now
NASDAQ, 2012
9-6. Subset of Ameritrade, stock market exchange. “Chemical Industry Stock Outlook - Sept. 2012 - Zacks
Analyst Interviews,” http://community.nasdaq.com/News/2012-09/chemical-industry-stock-outlook-sept2012-zacks-analyst-interviews.aspx?storyid=170806#ixzz28UcPva8c
The sluggish economy took a toll on growth in the U.S . as the nation's chemical production grew a
nominal 2.1% in 2011. South America and Asia (excluding Japan) witnessed growth of 4.7% and 11.1%, respectively. Growth
in Asia was led by strong contributions from China. ¶ End-Market Scenario ¶ U.S. chemical production continues its
monthly declining streak as reflected in the recently released data by the American Chemistry
Council ("ACC"). The Washington-based chemical industry trade group said that the Chemical Production Regional
Index (CPRI) fell 0.1% in June, following a downwardly revised 0.5% decline in May. ¶ The U.S. CPRI, which was
created by Moore Economics to track chemical production in seven regions across the nation, is comparable to Federal Reserve's
industrial production index for chemicals. The ACC reported that chemical production dipped in the Gulf Coast, Midwest, Southeast
and West Coast regions and was flat in the Ohio Valley, Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions. ¶ On a region-by-region basis,
production declined across all regions except the Gulf Coast and Ohio Valley areas. On a year-to-date basis (production
for the first six months of 2012 compared with the year-ago data), production nudged up 0.2%. ¶ On a monthly comparison basis,
chemical production in the Gulf Coast region, where key building block materials are produced, was down 0.4% in June. The Midwest
region saw a decline of 0.2%. Productions in the Ohio Valley and Mid-Atlantic regions were flat in June. Production slipped in the
Southeast (down 0.2%) and West Coast (0.1%) regions during the month while remained unchanged in the Northeast. ¶ Output from
the U.S. manufacturing sector, the largest consumer of chemical products, crept up 0.2% in June, following a 0.1% fall a month ago.
Within this sector, output rose in several key chemistry end-user markets including appliances, motor vehicles, computers, apparel,
structural panels, rubber products, paper and printing. ¶ Demand for U.S. manufacturing has been weak in recent
months given the ongoing European predicament and slowdown in Chinese manufacturing sector. The
ACC noted that output clipped in a number of key segments including plastic resins, fertilizers, adhesives, organic
chemicals and pharmaceuticals. However, production rose across many segments such as inorganic chemicals, industrial gases,
consumer products, pesticides, coatings and synthetic rubber. ¶ The decline in chemical output was also witnessed in
Europe . According to the European Chemical Industry Council ("ECIC"), chemicals production in the European
Union fell 2.1% year over year in the first five months of 2012. Production edged down 0.7% year over year in
Chemicals prices rose 2.7% year over year in May, led by a 4% increase in the price for
basic inorganics.
May 2012.
Solvency
EPA regulations are duplicated by the States
Barry Russell , April 28, 2012 President, Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA),
Duplicative & Unnecessary Regulations, http://energy.nationaljournal.com/2012/04/regulating-natural-gaswhats-t.php
This isn’t just my view, it’s the opinion of EPA administrator Lisa Jackson who noted, “you can't start to
talk about a federal role [in hydraulic fracturing] without acknowledging the very strong state role."
Jackson also added, "We have no data right now that lead us to believe one way or the other that there
needs to be specific federal regulation of the fracking process."
Yet in spite of established science and well documented experience, a vocal minority is urging the president
to push for greater regulation of the practice. The pleas of this group are not based on facts, but on
anecdotes and unfounded claims. In response, many federal agencies have drafted regulatory proposals
in recent months.
Most of these proposals are either un-necessary, duplicative or both. Two examples include the EPA’s
promulgation of regulations governing pre-treatment standards for produced fluids and the agency’s
new source performance standards for hydraulically fractured wells. In its rush to regulate, the EPA
missed that industry and state regulators are already addressing these issues. Specifically, independent
operators are using water recycling and disposal wells for water and brine waste management. They are
also using green completion techniques, and other measures, to significantly reduce emissions from
development operations.
Alt Causes to natural gas decline:
A) Export ban dooms natural gas
McCown, ’12 (Brigham, Brigham McCown, a managing director at United Transportation Advisors, was the first
acting administrator of the Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration,
The Washington Times, “Natural gas export ban would be costly” February 28, 2012,
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/feb/28/natural-gas-export-ban-would-be-costly/)-mikee
As America’s shale boom increases the domestic supply of natural gas, U.S. companies such as Dominion and Cheniere Energy
prudently have used avenues to export natural gas to countries in Europe and Asia where higher demand translates into higher prices.
Despite the private sector’s willingness to invest billions of dollars in our country to develop the physical infrastructure
necessary to export this “made in the USA” product, some in Washington are seeking to derail this economic
boost by encouraging denial of export permits by the Obama administration’s Department of
Energy. Rep. Ed Markey, Massachusetts Democrat, along with a few other lawmakers on Capitol Hill, is clamoring for
the agency to say no to U.S. exports, despite the job growth and revenue-generating potential associated with these
projects. These misguided demands for the government to curtail American natural gas exports are in contravention of our national
interests, defying both economics and logic. Substantial exploration efforts by energy companies have resulted in significant discovery
of new reserves as well as increased production, making natural gas extraordinarily cheap and abundant in the United States as
compared with Asian and European markets, where higher demand translates into higher pricing. Using supply-and-demand
economics makes sense in a commercial environment. Attempts by Washington lawmakers to take an obstructionist position against
U.S. businesses are counterintuitive. Imagine the backlash if Congress opposed allowing Caterpillar to sell equipment overseas or the
Department of Agriculture placed an export ban on surplus corn or wheat. How many U.S. factory workers and farmers would lose
their jobs? The truth of the matter is that exporting our domestic surpluses to foreign markets where demand and prices are higher
reduces our trade deficit while increasing our gross domestic product (GDP). Yet, when the target is natural gas, the rules somehow
change. Washington’s disdain for fossil fuel has attracted the ire of domestic companies and our trading partners, both of which
recognize that the latest anti-energy fad lacks a rational economic basis. It is difficult to understand how any American lawmaker or
administration would berate China for engaging in unfair economic manipulations while at the same time giving serious consideration
to stunting economic growth by deliberately curtailing U.S. exports. In fact, President Obama even went so far in his recent State of
the Union address as to promise, “I will go anywhere in the world to open new markets for American products.” The president must
back up his promises with policies and actions that encourage, not hinder, our economic recovery. A natural gas export ban
would discourage domestic natural gas producers from making a further investment in the American
economy. Consider that the proposed natural gas exports necessitate expansion of existing facilities and construction of new
infrastructure, resulting in significant economic benefits. For example, Cheniere Energy is working on construction of its Sabine Pass
Liquefaction facility, which the company projects will create 30,000 to 50,000 jobs.
B) State and local restrictions prevent production.
Negro, ’12 (Sorell E, associate at Robinson & Cole LLP, “Fracking Wars: Federal, State and Local Conflicts over the
Regulation of Natural Gas Activities,” FEBRUARY 2012 | Vol. 35 | No. 2, Zoning and Planning Law Report)-mikee
However, in many communities sitting on
top of these gas reserves, enthusiasm over domestic drilling has been met with
inflamed opposition from citizens and officials who express health, safety and environ- mental concerns. A growing
number of communities have banned fracking altogether, as discussed below. Fracking has proved to be a
contentious issue in many localities, and many states and mu- nicipalities are faced with regulating natural gas
drilling for the first time. In addition, states and local governments that have been regulating fracking
are refining their rules and regulations. Thus, the regulation of fracking is in flux. Accordingly, understanding how
fracking is regulated takes a bit of patience. Complicating the regulatory climate, all levels of government claim an interest in fracking
regulation. While the regulation of the oil and gas industry has traditionally been left to the states , the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) is currently re-evaluat- ing its role in the process. For example, the EPA has been working on new standards
for emissions from gas drilling.6 Debate ensues over the proper roles for the federal, state and local governments in regulating how,
where and if fracking occurs, and initiatives underway at the federal and state levels could significantly alter current regulato- ry
schemes. The objectives of this article are to provide land use and zoning practitioners with an overview of the current regulatory
scheme at each level of government, offer examples of cur- rent regulations, and show that the regulation of fracking is subject to
substantial change depend- ing on which course the EPA takes and emerging state regulatory frameworks.
The EPA revised the implementation date of regulations from 2012 to 2015 –
solves the affrimative recovered methane sales solve any economic impact,
none of their ev assumes this change
Davidson 12
(Mark Davidson is Editorial Director for Platts’ North American natural gas news, Platts’ Gas Daily,
Wednesday June 20th, 2012,
http://s3.amazonaws.com/cuttings/cuttingpdfs/18531/075d95107cdd5ed278a19f158843771f.pdf)
The new rule requiring green completions of all fracked wells by 2015 will “level” the playing field
nationally, EPA Assistant Administrator Regina McCarthy told the senators. She predicted that operators
will find that the cost of installing methane control equipment will be compensated by the revenue
generating by selling the recovered gas. “These win-win standards protect public health in a way the
supports responsibly increasing domestic production, and the standards ultimately pay for
themselves as industry captures more of a valuable natural resource,” McCarthy concluded.
Disadvantages
Water DA
Increased natural gas destroys watersheds
Argetsinger, 11 -- J.D. Candidate, Certificate in Environmental Law, Pace Law School
(Beren, Pace Environmental Law Review, "The Marcellus Shale: Bridge to a Clean Energy Future or
Bridge to Nowhere?," 29 Pace Envtl. L. Rev. 321, Fall 2011, l/n, accessed 5-24-12, mss)
As noted above, the EIA's long-term projections estimate that over forty-five percent of all natural gas produced in the United States by 2035 will come
from shale gas. Experience in shale gas-producing states reveals that hydraulic fracturing
has significant impacts on water and air
resources; with nearly half the country's natural gas supply expected to come from shale, the long-term consequences must be considered and
addressed now. Reports of shale gas development in Colorado, Wyoming, Texas, and Pennsylvania highlight numerous water and air contamination
problems that have arisen from shale gas production. n53 Improper [*331] well
casing, lax on-site wastewater storage practices
and perhaps even the hydraulic fracturing process itself, can allow natural gas constituents to migrate into and
permanently contaminate underground aquifers and private wells. n54 The dumping of flowback waters into streams and onto roads
contaminates surface waters and improperly treated fracking wastewater at sewage treatment plants (often defined as publicly owned treatment works or
"POTWs") damage streams and drinking water supplies, putting human and ecological
health at risk.
n55 Air pollutants in the form of volatile organic compounds
(VOCs) and nitrous oxides (NOx), which are precursors to ground level ozone, a respiratory hazard, arise from the concentrated operation of diesel pumps, truck traffic, and on-site generators. n56 Methane gas, a highly potent greenhouse gas, and other pollution
constituents are released through the drilling, fracturing, venting, flaring, condensation, and transportation processes of a well's lifecycle. n57 A. Water Pollution The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC or DEC) estimates that the
hydraulic fracturing process requires anywhere from 2.9 million to 7.8 million gallons of injected water combined with chemicals and sand to fracture a single well, depending on the depth of the well and geology of the area. n58 DEC estimates that over the next thir ty
years, "there could be up to 40,000 wells developed with the high volume hydraulic fracturing technology." n59 Reports from hydraulic fractured wells in northern Pennsylvania indicate that between nine and thirty-five percent (or 216,000 to 2.8 million [*332] gallons)
flowback water is a significant operational
challenge of extracting shale gas and one that has not been met in some states. The treatment of flowback waters has proven a persistent
challenge in Pennsylvania, causing environmental damage that regulators in some areas have been slow to address. n61
of the water-chemical solution used in fracking returns as "flowback" before a well begins to produce gas. n60 Handling and treating these high volumes of
Former Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner John Hanger said in a DEP press release in April 2010: The treating
and disposing of gas drilling brine and fracturing wastewater is a significant challenge for the natural gas industry because of its exceptionally high total
dissolved solid (TDS) concentrations... . Marcellus drilling
is growing rapidly and our rules must be strengthened now to
prevent our waterways from being seriously harmed in the future. n62 However, the DEP has largely limited its regulatory oversight on the issue of wastewater
disposal at POTWs to a request that shale gas producers "voluntarily" cease disposing of flowback water at some POTWs. n63 The issue of improper treatment of hydraulic fracturing wastewater is compounded by
specific exemptions for hydraulic fracturing from certain federal environmental laws. For example, [*333] the Energy Policy Act of 2005 amended the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) to largely exempt gas
drillers from the SDWA, from EPA regulation, and from disclosure of the chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing operations. n64 While some states such as New York would require drillers to meet higher standards,
n65 industry has largely fought efforts to force public disclosure as well as federal efforts to study the impacts of chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing on drinking water. n66 Independent analysis of products used
in some western states for the production of oil and gas revealed more than 350 products containing hundreds of chemicals, the vast majority of which have known adverse effects on human health and the
environment. n67 However, industry feet dragging on public disclosure has contributed to incomplete knowledge of the chemical makeup and concentrations used in fracturing fluids, and the full extent of the risk the
chemicals pose to human and environmental health is unknown. n68 The NYS DEC advised in its Revised Draft Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement (Revised dSGEIS) that: There is little
meaningful information one way or the other about the potential impact on human health of chronic low level exposures to many of these chemicals, as could occur if an aquifer were to be contaminated as the result
of a spill or release that is undetected and/or unremediated. n69 Incomplete knowledge of the chemical constituents injected into wells during the fracturing process raise concerns about [*334] understanding their
effects on people and how to treat acute and chronic exposure. Further, as noted above, the fracturing fluids that return to the surface in flowback wastewaters create particularly daunting treatment challenges. The
fracking solution pumped into the wells dissolves large quantities of salts, heavy metals such as barium and strontium, and radioactive materials. n70 When the water returns to the surface, it is stored for reuse,
recycled, or treated and disposed. Currently, Pennsylvania is the only state that allows for the primary method for disposal of drilling wastewaters at POTWs. n71 Many POTWs are incapable of treating fracking
wastewater and discharges of untreated fracking wastewater into surface waters create environmental and human health hazards. n72 The chemicals, radioactivity levels, and high salt concentrations pose difficulties
for managers because most POTWs are not equipped to test for or treat all of these substances. n73 John H. Quigley, former Pennsylvania Secretary of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, stated:
we're burning the furniture to heat the house ... in shifting away from coal and toward natural gas, we're trying for cleaner
air, but we're producing massive amounts of toxic wastewater with salts and naturally occurring radioactive materials, and it's
not clear we have a plan for properly handling this waste. n74 [*335] Former DEP Commissioner John Hanger stated that twenty-six miles of Dunkard
TDS concentrations from drilling fluids can
allowed a
"golden algae to bloom" and created such an inhospitable environment that it destroyed aquatic life , including "at
Creek, located in Greene County, Pennsylvania, were destroyed by excessive TDS levels.
contain up to five times the salt as sea water. n75 These high levels, along with changes in temperature and nutrient concentrations,
least sixteen species of freshwater mussels and eighteen species of fish." n76 These issues have not escaped the attention of the EPA, which noted particular concern over increased bromide levels resulting from
improperly treated drilling wastewaters entering drinking water sources. n77 Bromides react with chlorine disinfectants used in drinking water treatment plants and create the disinfection by-product trihalomethane.
EPA has labeled trihalomethane a potential hazard and set federal safe drinking water standards at 80 micrograms per cubic liter. n78 Facing increasing scrutiny from the EPA, Pennsylvania DEP acknowledged that
most POTWs are not capable of properly treating drilling wastewaters and requested fracking operators to cease taking drilling wastes to the fifteen treatment plants still accepting it. n79 While voluntary requests to
cease common disposal practices have yet to become translated to enforceable regulations, drilling operators in Pennsylvania have begun [*336] developing alternative disposal methods, such as recycling and reusing
flowback water; albeit to a limited extent. n80 B. Air Pollution Hydraulic fracturing also impacts air quality. Shale gas production requires thousands of trucks to both deliver the millions of gallons of water needed
for the fracturing process and to haul hundreds of thousands of gallons of flowback wastewater for disposal. n81 The well drilling and fracking process, well completion, and gas production all require the use of
generators, compressors, high powered mobile diesel engines, and condensate tanks, as well as flaring, and venting techniques. n82 These processes and techniques combine to release large amounts of methane, fine
particulate matter and VOCs. n83 VOCs are ground level ozone precursors, and methane is a highly potent greenhouse gas. n84 Benzene, toluene, and formaldehyde are used in fracking and are some common VOCs
that react with sunlight to create ground level ozone, which can cause respiratory diseases such as asthma, bronchitis or emphysema. n85 Oil and gas production are among the largest sources of VOCs in the Rocky
Mountain region. n86 Extremely high ozone levels in Sublette County, Wyoming - a town with a population of less than 9,000 people - have been attributed to the natural gas drilling boom there. n87 Ozone levels in
Sublette County reached 143 parts per billion (ppb) on March 1, 2011 and 124 ppb on March 2, 2011. n88 In 2010, the worst ozone levels in Los Angeles [*337] reached 114 ppb. n89 With ozone levels at times
reaching over twice the federal limit of 75 ppb n90 and regularly exceeding that limit in areas of Wyoming with small human populations, there appears to be a direct relationship between gas drilling and air quality.
A 2009 study of oil and gas activities in the Barnett shale in Texas provides a useful breakdown of different point sources of air pollution resulting from shale gas production processes. n91 The study broke down
emissions from compressor engine exhaust, oil and condensate tanks, well drilling, hydraulic fracturing and well completions, natural gas processing, and transmission fugitives. n92 All of these emission source
categories were predicted to have increases in VOCs and greenhouse gas emission levels in 2009 from 2007 levels. n93 One striking statistic from the report was that oil and gas ozone precursor emissions in the
Barnett formation would exceed the mobile source ozone precursor emissions of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metropolitan area by more than thirty tons per day. n94 While natural gas is widely hailed as the cleaner
This observation is
particularly important considering the upward trends in estimated shale gas production over the long-term. n95 Accounting
alternative to oil and coal, this characterization does not account for the air emissions impacts from the production stages of natural gas obtained through hydraulic fracturing.
for shale-derived natural gas' full air quality impacts requires analysis of the emissions produced from the production stage all the way through the
combustion stage - a full life-cycle [*338] analysis. n96 As noted earlier, preliminary life-cycle analyses of shale gas production indicate that air quality
climate impacts are significantly greater than the impacts from the point of combustion alone, and could contribute as much - or more - greenhouse gas
emissions than coal. n97 These findings and the increasingly high environmental costs of hydraulic fracturing indicate that natural gas' "clean credentials"
are not what they appear and begs the question whether natural gas is really the clean alternative that can be a "bridge fuel" to a clean energy future. n98
Water is important for all life
WWP, 10
(Western Watersheds Project, "Protecting Watersheds," 2010,
www.westernwatersheds.org/issues/protecting-watersheds, accessed 5-29-12, mss)
Protecting Watersheds A watershed is land that contributes water to a stream, river, lake, pond, wetland or other body of water. The boundary that
separates one watershed from another, causing falling rain or melting snow or spring water to flow downhill in one direction or the other, is known as a
“watershed divide”. John Wesley Powell put it well when he said that a watershed is: "that area of land, a bounded hydrologic system, within which all
living things are inextricably linked by their common water course" The defining watershed divide in the United States is the Continental Divide which
generally follows the Rocky Mountains and determines whether water flows to the Pacific or Atlantic Ocean. Our biggest watershed is that of the
Mississippi River which starts in Minnesota and spreads across 40% of the lower 48 states, drawing its water from the Yellowstone, Missouri, Platte,
Arkansas, Canadian, Red, Wisconsin, Illinois, Ohio and Tennessee Rivers---and their drainages. While major watersheds are clearly visible on satellite
photographs and maps, within each one is an intricate web of secondary drainages, each fed by a myriad of streams and smaller creeks, many unnamed
and so small a person can jump across them. In many parts of the country, particularly in the arid West, these smaller drainages may cover thousands of
acres, yet collect far less water than those in the East. For example, the Hudson River has a flow equivalent to that of the Colorado, yet collects its water
from a land area less than 1/20th the size required by the Colorado River which is 1,400 miles long. Because there is very little land that is truly flat,
watersheds and drainages are all around us, and just about everybody in the United States is within walking distance of one whether they live in a
city, on a farm, in a desert, or on an island. Some carry the names of well known rivers like the Columbia and the Rio Grande. Most, however, do not, and
remain anonymous, hidden in culverts or ditches or flowing only intermittently in high deserts, unrecognized and unheralded as vital,
contributing
parts of the complex system that supplies all of our fresh surface water. “Surface water” runs through watersheds and
drainages, from mountains or high ground to the sea. Underlying watersheds, or adjacent to most of them, however, is an even greater source of supply,
“ground water”. Ground water is formed when falling rain or melting snow percolates deep into the ground over time, sometimes centuries, to a level
where it is stored in porous rock and sand and accumulates there until tapped by drilled wells or comes to the surface of its own accord as a spring or
artesian well. This stored ground water is commonly referred to as an “aquifer” and its level is measured in terms of a “water table”. Like watersheds,
water stored in aquifers generally seeps downhill, and many, like the Mississippi River drainage, cover wide areas of the United States. The nation’s
largest deposit of ground water is the Ogallala Aquifer System that underlies 8 states, Wyoming, Colorado, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma,
water resources,
only sustain all life but are the only practical source of fresh water we have for industry,
agriculture, and municipal use. And although they are often viewed as two separate entities, they are, for the most part, inextricably linked.
Texas and New Mexico. Many smaller aquifers are found across the country and some remain unnamed and uncharted. These two
surface and ground water, not
For example, in addition to rain and melting snow, ground water springs are vital to maintaining the flow of many streams and rivers in a watershed. And
a great deal of surface water, about 25% of it, percolates deep into the ground where it is stored in or helps recharge our aquifers. The remaining surface
water, after evaporation, which claims some 40%, becomes the complex system of streams and rivers that flow through watersheds from the mountains or
high ground to the sea. Along the way, however, some of that water is temporarily held back in ponds, wetlands and the land bordering creeks, streams
and rivers where water may not be visible but lies just below the surface. These areas are collectively referred to as riparian zones, and while they
constitute only a small percentage of the land in most watersheds, they
are the heart and soul of a delicately balanced natural
system that, collectively, produces our fresh water. A healthy, functioning riparian zone is a virtual classroom in life
sciences---botany, biology, animal ecology, fisheries, entomology and ornithology---and contains a miraculous diversity of
wildlife, fish, birds, bugs and an array of vegetation ranging from trees and grasses to algae and other aquatic plants. Riparian
zones and the biodiversity they contain are interdependent. That is, the trees, plants, grasses, reeds, and algae provide food,
shade, protection and habitat for wildlife, birds and fish. Their root systems stabilize soil and prevent erosion and flooding in wet
seasons; and in dry seasons, this vegetation retains water and releases it slowly to maintain even stream flows. For their part, the variety of animals, fish,
birds, and bugs living in these zones aerate the soil, spread pollen and seeds and eventually, when they die and fungi and bacteria break down the dead
organic matter, provide nourishment for a new generation of riparian vegetation. This is an oversimplified description of a pristine riparian zone within a
source watershed, that critical part of the system where water is gathered from a web of springs, bogs and creeks and begins its long, twisting journey
from the mountains to the sea. Such pristine conditions still exist in some isolated areas, but today no major river arrives at its terminus in this condition,
and some don’t make it at all. Along the way, watersheds are radically transformed by man. Rivers are dammed, channeled, and otherwise diverted to
serve a multitude of agricultural, industrial and municipal purposes. And while a good portion of the water is eventually released back into the system,
water conservation is one of the most serious natural resource
issues facing this country, and nowhere is conservation more important than in the arid West which is literally running out of water.
much of it is polluted and requires costly purification. Today,
Warming
EPA Rules solve Warming gas leaks
Michael Obeiter, May 9, 2012 WRIInisghts, “How The EPA’s New Oil And Gas Standards Will Reduce
Greenhouse Gas Emissions”
http://insights.wri.org/news/2012/05/how-epas-new-oil-and-gas-standards-will-reduce-greenhouse-gasemissions
The EPA estimates that when the new rules are fully implemented in 2015, they will result in an annual
reduction of between 1 and 1.7 million tons of methane, equivalent to 19 to 33 million metric tons of
CO2.
The EPA estimates that when new rules are implemented in 2015, they will result in an annual methane
reduction of between 1 and 1.7 million tons. That’s the equivalent of removing up to 8 million cars from
the road each year. This translates into removing 4 to 8 million cars from the road each year. From a
climate change perspective, methane is the second most dangerous greenhouse gas, after carbon dioxide,
and is much more powerful at trapping heat. In fact, the global warming potential of methane is 72 times
greater than CO2 over a 20-year time frame, and 25 times more powerful over a 100 year period.
According to the EPA, natural gas systems—including extraction, processing, transportation and storage—
represented the single largest source of methane emissions in the United States, accounting for 32 percent
of all methane emissions in 2009. It is likely that these emissions have increased in the past few years due
to the rise in shale gas development. How the rule achieves these reductions The new standards require that
most fractured and refractured gas wells undertake “green completions” (also known as reduced emissions
completions) to reduce VOC emissions. Green completions involve a process for capturing natural gas
leaked from wells while the drilling, fracturing, and reservoir fluids are expelled (a process known as well
completion). In short, when a well is green completed, owners or operators use equipment to capture any
gases that reach the surface with drilling liquids during a well completion, thereby reducing emissions of
both VOCs and methane. This new requirement becomes cost-effective when developers capture and sell
natural gas that is otherwise leaked, vented or flared. During the comment period for the NSPS rules,
industry stakeholders expressed concerns about the availability of some equipment required to perform
green completions. The EPA’s response to these concerns was a gradually phased implementation plan,
requiring full attainment in 2015. When fully implemented, the EPA expects a 95% reduction in VOC
emissions from production wells, processing plants, transmission pipelines, and other segments of the
supply chain (minus distribution, which is not covered by these rules). The rules include incentives for
companies to comply earlier than required, and EPA estimates cost savings to industry from sales of gas
captured during green completions on the order of $11-19 million per year, though other estimates have
come in even higher. Currently, several states and cities already require the use of green completions,
and some gas companies are using them voluntarily, which should help the natural gas industry comply
with the new rules over their phased implementation between now and January 1, 2015. The new oil and
gas rules are a good start toward reducing emissions of air toxics and greenhouse gases from new and
refractured wells. It is unclear if EPA will adopt further standards, such as requiring companies to measure
and disclose emissions data from shale gas sources, aimed directly at greenhouse gas emissions from
natural gas systems. But these new rules are a common-sense start that will benefit human health, the
environment, and even the natural gas industry’s bottom line. Although these rules do not explicitly address
GHG emissions, we are encouraged by these steps taken by the EPA, which can help put the United
States on a path to meet its commitment of reducing GHG emissions by 17 percent below 2005 levels
by 2020 and by 83 percent by 2050.
Gas crowds-out renewables- key to solve climate
Harvey, 12 -- Guardian environmental correspondent
(Fiona, "'Golden age of gas' threatens renewable energy, IEA warns," The Guardian, 5-29-12,
www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/may/29/gas-boom-renewables-agency-warns, accessed 5-31-12,
mss)
A "golden age of gas" spurred by a tripling of shale gas from fracking and other sources of unconventional gas by 2035
will stop renewable
energy in its tracks if governments don't take action, the International Energy Agency has warned. Gas is now relatively abundant
in some regions, thanks to the massive expansion of hydraulic fracturing – fracking – for shale gas, and in some areas the price of the fuel has fallen.
The result is a threat to renewable energy, which is by comparison more expensive, in part because the greenhouse gas
emissions from fossil fuels are still not taken into account in the price of energy. Fatih Birol, chief economist for the IEA, said the
threat to renewables was plain: "Renewable energy may be the victim of cheap gas prices if governments do not
stick to their renewable support schemes." Maria van der Hoeven, executive director of the IEA, told a conference in London: "Policy measures by
governments for renewable energy have to be there for years to come, as it is not always as cost-effective as it could be." Shale gas fracking – by which
dense shale rocks are blasted apart under high pressure jets of water, sand and chemicals in order to release tiny bubbles of methane trapped inside them –
was virtually unknown less than ten years ago, but has rapidly become commonplace. In places like the US, the rising price of energy has made such
practices economically worthwhile. On current trends, according to the IEA, the world is set for far more global warming than the 2C that scientists say is
"A golden age for gas is not
necessarily a golden age for the climate," warned Birol. The IEA report comes as the Guardian revealed that gas has been
the limit of safety, beyond which climate change is likely to become catastrophic and irreversible.
rebranded in secret documents as a form of green energy by the EU. Gas produces only about half of the carbon emissions of coal when burnt, which has
led some industry lobbyists to attempt to rebrand it as a "clean" or "low-carbon" fuel. But its effect on the climate is less clear-cut than the direct
comparison with coal would suggest. In
the US, gas-fired power stations have taken over in some areas from coal-fired power,
that does not necessarily equate to a global cut in emissions.
Last year, the consumption of coal in Europe rose by 6%, according to Birol, which was a result of an excess of cheap coal on
the market because of less consumption in the US, while the price on carbon emissions under the EU's emissions trading scheme –
reducing the nominal carbon emissions from US power stations. But
supposed to discourage coal – was too low to have any effect. That rise in coal consumption will have increased emissions in the EU, though the data has
not yet been fully collected. This example shows that gas can simply displace emissions rather than cut them altogether, according to Birol. " Gas
cannot solve climate change – we need renewable energy," he told the Guardian.
Too late for the natural gas bridge fuel – must transition to alternatives
Romm 2012 (Joe Romm, Fellow at American Progress, April 9, 2012, “Natural Gas Is A Bridge To
Nowhere Absent A Carbon Price AND Strong Standards To Reduce Methane Leakage,” Think
Progress, http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2012/04/09/460384/natural-gas-is-a-bridge-tonowhere-absent-a-carbon-price-and-strong-standards-to-reduce-methane-leakage/)
The concept of natural gas as a “bridge fuel” was pushed by the American Gas Association as
far back as 1981. It’s the longest bridge in history! Heck, the Golden Gate Bridge only took 4
years to build! But the window where gas can be a major bridge fuel to a world with a livable
climate appears to be almost completely closed, now. Had we acted back in the 1980s or even
1990s as climate scientists and world leaders had been urging, then, yes, an expansion of gas
use might have made sense. The fact that natural gas is now a bridge fuel to nowhere was first
shown by the International Energy Agency in its big June report on gas — see IEA’s “Golden
Age of Gas Scenario” Leads to More Than 6°F Warming and Out-of-Control Climate Change.
The IEA’s well-named GAG scenario assumes that not only does oil production peak in 2020 —
but so does coal! Remember, warming beyond 6°F (3.5°C) is “incompatible with organized
global community, is likely to be beyond ‘adaptation’, is devastating to the majority of
ecosystems & has a high probability of not being stable (i.e. 4°C [7F] would be an interim
temperature on the way to a much higher equilibrium level),” according to Professor Kevin
Anderson, director of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change in Britain (see here). We would be
self-destructively irrational to risk even 5°F warming. If your goal is a livable climate, we need
to transition off of all fossil fuels ASAP.