Study suggests shale-gas development causing rapid landscape change

[enough]

http://www.farmanddairy.com/news/study-suggests-shale-gas-development-causing-rapid-landscape-change/36642.html

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — As the Marcellus natural gas play unfolds in Pennsylvania, several trends are becoming increasingly clear, according to Penn State researchers.

First, most of the development is occurring on private land, and the greatest amount of development falls within the Susquehanna River basin. Second, a regional approach to siting drilling infrastructure is needed to help minimize development in core forest and productive agricultural lands and to decrease the potential risk to waterways.

Gas development

Patrick Drohan, assistant professor of pedology in the College of Agricultural Sciences, was lead investigator on a study that examined the early effects of Marcellus gas development on landcover change and forest fragmentation in the Keystone State. Drohan estimates that slightly more than half of the well pads in Pennsylvania occur on agricultural land; most of the rest are on forestland, but many of those are on core forest that is privately owned.

Land management

The fragmentation of forestland, especially northern core forest, places headwater streams and larger downstream waterways at risk of pollution, the study suggests. Based on the intensity of development in the Susquehanna River basin, future expansion of shale-gas production in this basin could become a significant land- and water-management challenge for Chesapeake Bay water quality and ecosystem services.

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[The Wielding Truth]

1. Why are we again exploiting our finite natural resources? It's insane to again become dependent on

nonrenewables. When the earth may never be able to create these gases and oils again we cannot gut them and use our fresh water supply to do it.

It is insane!

[FBaggins]

2. We're already dependent on them...

...the question here is whether we'll produce them ourselves (and live with the environmental consequences of our actions), or import fuels from abroad.

Note that prior to the recent gas boom, the US was feverishly constructing LNG import facilities.

The shift to renewables is worthwhile on its own... but that's a question of "why use gas at all?" rather than what this article is talking about.

[The Wielding Truth]

3. Yes. I am off from the article. I am saying that it is a waste of Earth to deplete and "again" be

dependent on the non- replenishing non- renewable natural gas and to waste our lifeline of fresh water. I hate the carefree rape of our natural resources that have taken millions of years and Earth's distinct evolution to develop. I was wondering when Earth's children will start to respect it's creator and dance with nature . We are smart enough to give our all to solar, water and wind along with the power we as people waste with our movement, and the development of algae electricity. There is a will, but those who are stuck in the past and too afraid to buck the wealthy have us bamboozled the masses into thinking we have to make pollution to develop power.

It is and cannot be our direction. That is what I mean. We must see it as it is for the generations to come and for our own health.

[FBaggins]

4. I suspect we agree on that.

But we both know it's going to happen for the forseable future.

My position is that one way to get others on our side is to start have the environmental impact of our consumption be more evident. Instead of oil coming from the middle east (and the environmental impact of drilling, etc. staying there), get it here. Just look at the attention that the BP spill got (unfortunately not lasting). I think that people will be more likely to support working toward a cleaner world if the impact of their decisions is more evident.

And, for a bonus, the dollars and jobs are here rather than somewhere in the Middle East where someone's kid eventually has to go die.