Raising Elijah.jpg Q: In light of your new book Raising Elijah: Protecting Children in an Age of Environmental Crisis, which raises the specter of raising children in troubled times, both environmentally and ecologically, are you surprised that natural gas corporations have been producing public relations and propaganda materials like coloring books
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DeSmogBlog: Congressmembers Implicated in Insider Stock Trading on TransCanada, Keystone XL Pipeline
shutterstock_89794186.jpg When it comes to TransCanada Corporation's Keystone XL pipeline approval process, corruption has been rampant, as well covered by DeSmogBlog as it unfolded. The Keystone XL pipeline, currently in limbo, would carry tar sands crude — a thick and dirty fossil fuel called bitumen — from the Alberta tar sands through
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: Another LNG Deal Inked, Fracking Export Bonanza Continues
LNG Ship.jpg On December 7, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commision (FERC) granted a 30-year license to Jordan Cove LNG (liquefied natural gas), located in Coos Bay, Oregon, to transform its existing import terminal license into an export terminal license. It would be the first LNG export terminal on the west
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: Fracking Ohio’s Utica Shale to "Boost Local Economy"? A "Total" Sham
Total Energy Logo.jpg It is a well-known fact that the unconventional gas industry is involved in an inherently toxic business, particularly through hydraulic fracturing ("fracking"), which the EPA just confirmed today has contaminated groundwater in Wyoming. The documentary "Gasland," DeSmogBlog's report "Fracking the Future: How Unconventional Gas Threatens our Water, Health,
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: EPA Connects Dots Between Groundwater Contamination and Fracking in Wyoming
niobrara-shale-map1.png The tables turned on the gas industry today with the release of a new report by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) connecting the dots between fracking and groundwater contamination in the state of Wyoming, located in the hear tof the Niobrara Shale basin. The report is sure to leave many
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: Climate Denier Marc Morano Praises "George W. Obama" at COP17
marc-morano.jpg If the jury was still out on President Barack Obama's climate policy accolades (a huge "if"), consider the verdict now in, and from a surprising character at that: Marc Morano. Morano jubilantly referred to the President as "George W. Obama" in an interview with Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman at COP17, stating: They [the Obama
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: U.S. Rep. Dan Boren, Exemplar of Political Corruption
Dan Boren.jpeg Today, The New York Times ran an investigative piece uncovering a thick, multi-layered corruption scene, honing in on one man: U.S. Rep. Dan Boren (D-OK). Boren, many will recall, is one of the original co-sponsors of H.R. 1380, the NAT GAS Act, also known as the Pickens Plan, which
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: Smeared But Still Fighting, Cornell’s Tony Ingraffea Debunks Gas Industry Myths
ingraffea.jpg Cornell University Professors Robert Howarth and Anthony Ingraffea made waves in April 2011 when they unveiled what is now known simply as the "Cornell Study." Published in a peer-reviewed letter in the academic journal Climatic Change Letters, the study revealed that, contrary to the never-ending mythology promulgated by the gas
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: LNG Groundhog Day: Cheniere Energy Signs Yet Another Gas Export Deal on Gulf Coast
shutterstock_33324859.jpg Another day, another unconventional gas export deal signed. Nascent North American LNG (liquefied natural gas) export deals are happening so fast and furiously that it is hard to keep track of them all. The latest: On November 21, Cheniere Energy Partners signed a 20-year LNG export deal with Gas Natural Fenosa,
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: To Understand What’s Happening with Fracking Decisions in New York, Follow the Money
Money.jpg In a November 25 article titled, "Millions Spent in Albany Fight to Drill for Gas," The New York Times reported: Companies that drill for natural gas have spent more than $3.2 million lobbying state government since the beginning of last year, according to a review of public records. The broader natural
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: ExxonMobil and Shell Eyeing North American LNG Export Deals
LNG Export.jpg Yesterday, LNG World News reported that ExxonMobil Vice President Andrew Swiger announced, at a conference hosted by Bank of America Merrill Lynch, that it was actively seeking LNG (liquefied natural gas) export terminals throughout North America, including, but not limited to, in British Columbia and on the Gulf Coast. “In terms of
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: ExxonMobil and Shell Stamp Huge Oil and Gas Deals in Iraq
Rumaila Oil Field Explosion.jpg Just a few weeks after President Barack Obama announced U.S. troops are "leaving" the war-torn country, ExxonMobil and Shell each announced major new oil and gas production agreements in Iraq. On November 12, ExxonMobil signed an oil production deal with the Kurdish Regional Government to drill in Iraqi Kurdistan, located
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: Fracking Leads To Export Bonanza: Another Unconventional Gas Export Terminal Submitted to US DOE by Sempra
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On November 11, Sempra LNG, a subsidiary of Sempra Energy, submitted an export proposal to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).
Sempra explained in a pr…
DeSmogBlog: Food and Water Watch Report Exposes Lies About Oil and Gas Industry Jobs Claims
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A report released today by Food and Water Watch (FWW) titled, "Exposing the Oil and Gas Industry’s False Jobs Promise for Shale Gas Development: How Methodologic…
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: Opposition to Keystone XL Pipeline Heating Up
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The fight against the Keystone XL Pipeline is heating up, with many positive and important developments occuring this past week, excluding the disgra…
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: The Daily Show Notes Irony of Koch-Funded Study Affirming Global Warming is Real
Last night's entire first segment of The Daily Show focused on the recent study funded by the Koch Brothers that confirmed (again) that climate change is indeed a reality – an ironic twist given the Kochtopus' track rec…
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: TransCanada Spent $540,000 Lobbying in Third Quarter For Keystone XL Pipeline
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TransCanada Corp, the company hoping to build the controversial Keystone XL pipeline, spent $540,000 on lobbying in the third quarter of 2011, according to lobb…
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: Mainstream Media Fail to Cover Story on True Costs of Coal
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Yesterday, Media Matters reported in a story titled, "Media Ignore Study On Real Price Of Coal-Fired Power," that since the release of a ground-breaking repo…
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: In Throes of Keystone XL Controversy, Obama Admin OKs Alaska Offshore Drilling
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With all eyes on the ongoing battle over whether or not the Obama Administration and the State Department will approve the disastrous Keystone XL pipeline, it was easy to l…
Continue readingDeSmogBlog: Koch Brothers Dishonest About Keystone XL, Tar Sands Interest
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On the heels of a 21-page investigative article by Bloomberg Magazine, which covered the high crimes and misdemeanors of the Koch Brothers, Koch Industries,…
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