So much for the myth that fracking = cheap energy.

[wtmusic]

"Natural Gas Climbs for Second Day on Outlook for Hot Weather

Natural gas futures advanced for a second day in New York on forecasts for above-normal temperatures that would boost demand for the power-plant fuel to run air conditioners.

Gas gained as much as 2.6 percent after Commodity Weather Group LLC in Bethesda, Maryland, predicted warmer-than-average weather in the Northeast and Great Lakes region through May 24. The high in New York on May 22 may be 82 degrees Fahrenheit (28 Celsius), 10 more than usual, according to AccuWeather Inc. in State College, Pennsylvania.

<>

The futures jumped the most in three weeks on May 17 after the U.S. conditionally approved the Freeport LNG liquefied natural gas export project in Texas."

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-05-20/natural-gas-rises-5-from-week-ago-as-u-s-approves-lng-exports.html

Hello? The gas is going wherever it can fetch the highest price, meaning Americans will be just as vulnerable to price swings as they have been.

[Politicalboi]

1. The sun is the cheapest

Fracking needs to end before we have no drinking water. Do people really think they are going to warn us if water is contaminated? There's so much shit they already get away with. These assholes will drill this country dry if the money is there, and we know it is. The sun is the fairest way to go. No need for dirty contaminated water. I can see fracking ONLY as a solution to leaking natural gas to save the planet, not for greed.

[FBaggins]

2. That doesn't really follow.

Daily price changes are not evidence of whether or not something is cheap.

Hello? The gas is going wherever it can fetch the highest price,

Of course. But gas is much harder (and thus more expensive) to export than coal/oil. US prices will necessarily remain much lower than global prices unless/until export capacity grows by orders of magnitude.

The larger factor that will boost gas prices is the substantial shift in comsumption patterns. Demand growth that exceeds productin growth rates will have the larger impact.

[Socialistlemur]

3. It depends on supply

I think shale gas must be more expensive than gas from other rocks, because its a new technology and they have to spend a lot of money fracking the wells. If they build an export facility then I suppose the price will go up because there will be less competition. This has pluses and minuses. Natural gas is greener than coal, and this means it sheds less CO2. But a higher price long term helps cut how much we use. And it encourages more drilling. I don't think in the big picture this news item makes a difference. Everytime something like this is announced people make noise. But it takes a very sharp eye to figure out if its good or bad. I think long term it's bad because we export gas we should use to reduce coal consumption. And if we export it and goes elsewhere then it puts CO2 in the air anyway.

[Champion Jack]

4. It burns about 25% cleaner

But the extraction process, especially when you factor in the possibility of contaminated water supplies, is as bad or worse.

[FBaggins]

5. With respect... I think you may be missing on that "extraction process" point.

Coal isn't just "could impact the water supply if something goes wrong". It impacts the environment even when everything is working... and kills tens of thousands of people per year.

And when something does go wrong?