Today’s Essential Reads
FRACKING:
Oil and Gas Industry Tries to Show Soft Side in Face of Enviro Worries, Regulatory Heat
The oil and gas industry is trying to lose some of its swagger.
On Fracking, the Cuomo Administration Must Slow Down
New York state’s Fracking Express — the Cuomo administration’s controversial plan to fast-track high-volume hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) throughout the Marcellus Shale — is in danger of jumping the tracks.
Concerns Over Forest ‘Fracking’
An upcoming auction for mineral rights has some regional officials concerned about the natural gas drilling process known as “fracking” coming to the Wayne National Forest.
Protesters Against Fracking in Philadelphia
Simmone Bray, left, Biaggo Comeriato, center, and Kevin Starbard of Philadelphia hold up signs protesting against hydraulic gas drilling, or “fracking,” outside the Philadelphia convention center Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2011. The several hundred activists and homeowners who gathered outside the convention center where an industry conference was being held say fracking and shale gas drilling in general have led to polluted air and water and made people sick. (AP Photo/Mark Stehle)
BP OIL SPILL:
BP Dispersant Used on Rena Oil Spill
A oil dispersant being used to tackle the oil spill off the coast of Tauranga is the same product controversially used in the massive BP oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico last year.
BP, MOEX, Halliburton Sued Over Declining Fish Populations in the Gulf
Numerous fisheries are suing Halliburton Energy Services, BP and MOEX Offshore over claims the businesses lost profits as a result of the Deepwater Horizon explosion.
Disaster In the Gulf; So What Are We Doing About It?
In the Gulf, new information is confirming fears that fish and wildlife—and millions of people on the Coast—are being seriously impacted by the 4.9 million barrels of BP oil spewed from the ocean deep last year.
Strong Attachment to Local Communities Made Oil Spill More Stressful for Many Coastal Residents
A major concern related to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill of 2010 was the impact on people living in coastal areas. News reports provided anecdotal evidence that those living along the coast and reliant on the fishing or oil and gas industries for their livelihoods were very distressed and worried about the impact of the spill on their future.
RADIATION:
Small Nuclear Reactors for Power and Icebreaking
Russia’s commitment to civil marine nuclear power is growing. Power units for three new icebreakers are seen as the forerunners of a small reactor design for next-generation floating nuclear power plants.
