Currently, 34 states are experiencing the ravages of natural gas development. The unconventional shale drilling for natural gas is touted in industry propaganda as our "clean energy" bridge to a new energy future. Recent reporting drives a stake into the heart of the natural gas as "clean energy" myth and exposes the reality:

Natural Gas is a Dirty Fossil Fuel.

NPR: Health Issues Follow Natural Gas Drilling In Texas

My comment:

Originally posted 2009-11-01 20:54:20 -0400; promoted by carol.

I think it's important that everyone know the complete cost of the energy we use. That's why I often tell the very personal stories of victims of natural gas development. This story is about Tim and Christine and the land they thought they owned. The owner of the mineral rights under their land leased to Aruba Petroleum and Aruba exercised eminent domain and took approximately 4 or their 5 acres to develop the natural gas underneath. Their American Dream turned into a nightmare.

We are on a course for certain disaster if we don't slow down and make sure our "bridge fuel" is built with solid federal regulations!

A recent study of Barnett Shale ambient air was evaluated by Wilma Subra, MacArthur (Genius) Award winning chemist. The study found amazing and very high levels of toxic chemicals including known and suspected human carcinogens and neurotoxins.

Acute impacts to health will occur with these concentrations of chemicals in the air. The cancer and neurotoxins will also have an impact over the long term.

Watch this video to see what the Pickens Plan will do to America.

The following video contains a few of the 360 pictures taken on a short flight over small portions of Tarrant, Wise and Denton Counties. These pictures depict the destruction caused by natural gas production.

I was really astonished to read that Sanjay Gupta is the Pres.-elect's pick for Surgeon General. Well now his credentials don't look that bad, Besides functioning as CNN's health expert, he apparently also practices at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, and  is also an assistant professor of neurosurgery at the Emory University School of Medicine. It's his CNN commentaries that gives me pause. That said I think Paul Krugman got it just right. After describing Gupta's OK formal credentials he writes: