THEEARTHMOVES

Oklahoma has never been known as earthquake country, with a yearly average of about 50 tremors, almost all of them minor. But in the past three years, the state has had thousands of quakes. This year has been the most active, with more than 2,600 so far, including 87 last week.

While most have been too slight to be felt, some, like the quake on Saturday and a smaller one in November that cracked a bathroom wall in Ms. Sexton’s house, have been sensed over a wide area and caused damage. In 2011, a magnitude 5.6 quake — the biggest ever recorded in the state — injured two people and severely damaged more than a dozen homes, some beyond
repair.

(At least to me?)

Tragedy comes when all the people relevant to the context of the story or plot appear to be doing the right thing and bad, really bad results follow.

I think a pragmatist (a side of the devil to some religious folks) would say:

Two people died and a dozen homes were 'damaged'? Well a guy was sitting in his home probably having a beer in his living room and watching toothless alligator hunters or his favorite basketball game and a sinkhole swallowed him up into the abyss. And as far as I can tell, this single event did not arise as a result of fracking or drilling or mining or....

We as a nation, according to what I have read over the last couple years, is reaching a precipice in the energy field.

http://www.governing.com/topics/energy-env/gov-what-happens-when-us-becomes-energy-exporter.html

We are going to be an oil and gas exporter; we have surpassed China as the leading nation with regard to solar energy, we have experienced a growth in wind energy that is truly monumental (in my humble opinion).

Neither Oklahoma nor North Dakota nor Texas nor a number of other localities is going to stop this new energy explosion.

Take wind energy for instance.

Birds are dying.

Now someone might point out that birds by the thousands will just fall from the sky.

http://trib.com/news/opinion/editorial/wind-turbines-kill-birds-so-what/article_ecdcf879-cf3b-5397-add4-ac7a93ecf462.html

Someone might point out that our buildings destroy thousands upon thousands of birds every year; and I believe this destruction is due to glass windows that fool the poor critters on their trysts around the world.

I wrote a couple years ago about the horror facing Ohio; a state that like Oklahoma only experienced earthquakes as a result of fracking.

There are bigger concerns (in my mind at least) with regard to this energy explosion that America is experiencing—even without nuclear power.

Water is a big frickin deal.

In the Great Southwest, water is a commodity that has become more and more precious every single day.

And everything I have read, at least from sources not paid by the oil and gas cartels, informs me that water is being contaminated.

Where I live, the Allies in WWII can partially credit the Iron Range for our victories in Europe and the Pacific.

When the powers that be had already extracted the easiest iron ore available over a century or so, the Iron Range began a new technological renovation by providing the country with taconite.

The problem with taconite was that the sludge remaining from this new method of extraction was being dumped in Lake Superior. As one can imagine, Canada was not that pleased with this new pollution and neither were the states affected by that pollution—at least the states that were not benefiting from this new technology.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taconite

Fox News over the years has increased its adversity toward wind energy for what reasons I still do not understand except that energy cartels feel threatened.

Fox News over the years has attacked solar energy as some ridiculous fantasy held by tree hugging liberals; which I do not understand except that energy cartels feel threatened.

The most important links I have come across that demonstrate the profound effect Solar Energy and Wind Energy appear here:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/craig-lewis/rooftops-to-deserts-how-p_1_b_4433969.html?utm_hp_ref=energy

I know that there are hundreds of further links that demonstrate my point, and many of them appear in these other links.

A book that has been published six months ago regarding this new energy explosion is out of date!

North Dakota has a very tiny population like Wyoming or Montana and especially when compared to Texas. And now this state has a 2% unemployment rate and the employees are not making $10.00/hr.

This is a big deal to North Dakota.

North Dakota wants pipelines and de-regulation and experienced workers and experienced corporate managers and....

Although trains may carry more energy than pipelines.

METAPHORS

Just as a metaphor; South Korea exists and we have to do something about it.

Iran exists and we have to do something about that.

Palestinians exist and we have to do something about that.

And no way, no how are we going to nuke these populations.

It aint gonna happen.

So this Administration attempts, with the help of Secretary Kerry and a host of others to deal with the real situation.

Again, that devilish face of pragmatism.

AMERICA

North Dakota aint gonna just lie down and shut down its greatest economic explosion in History.

Texas and Oklahoma aint just gonna lie down and die.

http://www.newson6.com/story/14266933/oklahoma-oil-gas-execs-paying-close-attention-to-fracking-study

Forget the problems of racism and economic disparity and a host of other social issues.

Economic pragmatism will prevail and the best we can do as a nation is attempt to lessen the harm that will inevitably follow without proper regulation conditioned upon proper observation.

Pipelines are coming in and with pipelines come the inevitable harm that will ensue.

Our corporations (which have no national patriotic zeal) wish to take advantage of the Canadian energy explosion.

And those same corporations wish to take advantage of the new energy explosion being experienced in our own states.

WE AINT GONNA STOP 'PROGRESS'.

It just aint gonna happen.

All the prayers and all the protests and all of the religious zeal we can muster will do nothing to stop progress. And remember, I am not advocating progress even though I call myself a progressive. (Well actually I am really an old time liberal but who gives a damn! hahahahahahahah)

I do know this.

There has been more drilling in the Southeast Coast during this 'liberal' Administration than the prior

Administration.

There has been more fresh water pollution in this country under the current Administration than the prior Administration.

http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/news/press_releases/2013/clean-air-cities-11-07-2013.html

There have been more pipeline 'incidents' during the term of the current Administration than in the prior Administration.

Now, what is the purpose of this short essay?

I do not care what Fox News says about the new revolution of Solar and Wind Energy; Solar and Wind Energy are going to be with us for centuries (assuming we last that long).

I do not care what 'liberal' news sources say about this new revolution in fracking; fracking shall be with us for the next 100 years (assuming we last that long).

I do not care what other 'outlets' tell us about pipelines; new tech related to transfer of energy sources shall be with us for the next 100 years (assuming we last that long).

The best we can do is attempt to regulate this new technological explosion and attempt to regulate the implementation of this new phenomena.

South Dakota is entitled to protection from things being done in North Dakota.

California is entitled to protection from things being done in the South West that contaminate its water.

Hell, Iowa is entitled to protection from the sludge that Minnesota might expel into the Mississippi and other waterways.

Individuals still might prevail with the old legal structures still in place—assuming those individuals do not 'sell out'. And most will sell out.

Trespass and nuisance actions are still available. You hurt my land and I have state and Federal actions to bring and I can seek damages as well as equitable sanctions against the powers that be that contaminated my land.

Repubs will simply take the bribes from the international corporations and veto any measure that attempts to regulate environmental pollution.

And many dems (but not all of them like the repubs) will take the bribes from the international corporations and veto or obstruct any measure that attempts to regulate pollution; pollution of our waters or pollution of our air or pollution of our planet.

PROGRESS IS HERE.

GUNS

We aint gonna get rid of guns because there are too many out there and it is just too goddamn easy to manufacture them.

That fight is over. The best we can do is attempt to perform background checks and attempt control the sales of WMD's and attempt to curtail the use of weapons by children (prosecuting stupid parents with WMD's) and attempt to 'follow those weapons' when they are involved in crime.

And the best we can do as a nation is to force or petition our governments to watch over this new corporate energy technological explosion and keep us as safe as we can be.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/13/science/earth/as-quakes-shake-oklahoma-scientists-eye-oil-and-gas-industry.html?ref=science

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/04/02/video-shows-inside-look-at-sinkhole-that-killed-florida-man/

http://www.governing.com/topics/energy-env/gov-what-happens-when-us-becomes-energy-exporter.html

http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/Energy-Voices/2013/1107/Should-the-US-export-oil

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2013/12/13/3061561/trains-north-dakota-oil-keystone/

http://thinkprogress.org/security/2013/12/05/3029101/hunter-stands-nuke-iran-claim/

http://trib.com/news/opinion/editorial/wind-turbines-kill-birds-so-what/article_ecdcf879-cf3b-5397-add4-ac7a93ecf462.html

http://whatreallyhappened.com/content/us-should-nuke-iran-congressman

http://ezkool.com/2012/03/fact-more-oil-drilling-under-obama-than-under-bush/

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/has-obama-declared-a-war-on-coal/

http://www.foxbusiness.com/economy/2013/02/11/north-dakota-oil-boom-driving-economic-development/

http://www.newson6.com/story/14266933/oklahoma-oil-gas-execs-paying-close-attention-to-fracking-study

http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/news/press_releases/2013/clean-air-cities-11-07-2013.html

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2013/12/13/3064661/majority-want-keystone-ghgs/

http://www.sodahead.com/united-states/fox-news-hates-solar-power/question-1922427/?link=ibaf&q=FOX+NEWS+HATES+WINDPOWER

http://mediamatters.org/blog/2013/10/22/abc-helps-fox-promote-wind-power-hypochondria/196547

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2013/12/13/3064661/majority-want-keystone-ghgs/