Damages Caused by Fracking

One of the main areas being fracked right now is the Marcellus Shale.   The Marcellus Shale is located in the north east region of the United States, write under the states of New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky and even down into Tennessee.     

Residents in these areas were interviewed and it was noted that they had some serious medical complaints that started date coincident with fracking starting in their neighborhood. 

One of the issues has been problems with the reproductive system.  This applies to both males and females.   There are 12 chemicals that have a damaging effect on the endocrine system. It is speculated that fracking may cause infertility, cancer and birth defects in children born to those by frack plants.

There have also been reports of breathing difficulties and chronic conditions like COPD and asthma are prevalent. This is the is because it is impossible to ingest or breath in some of the toxic air or water fracking causes. 


Other issues and complaints are burning eyes, metallic taste, headaches, rashes and nose bleeds.  

The list could include other adverse effects but the above is enough to illustrate the point that we should not be fracking, particularly in the vicinity of where people and families are living.  

Renaissance Power and Gas does offer a solution to the problem.  In the New York area, we get the power and gas you need without fracking.  Then we sell it to you.  If everyone in our service area took advantage of this, it would make quite an impact!!!

Inquire below.  


 

Two Kinds of Pollution.

Air Pollution - 

This is particularly an issue in big cities around the world.  I know that every time I go to Los Angeles I wind up with a runny nose for several days until I get used to the kind of pollution. One of the biggest air pollutants is fossil fuel.  This is the fuel that you burn when driving your car.  

What you may not think about is it is not only driving your car but there are refineries that have to purify the make the oil usable for your car. The oil refineries can give off toxic air that can cause cancer, birth defects and many chronic conditions like asthma.

You can personally help minimize the amount of pollution in the air by carpooling, using public transportation or riding a bike provided the distance is not too great.   

Marine Polution - 

There are a lot things that wind up in the ocean that shouldn't.  Plastic is by far the most common and dangerous.  I cannot stress enough that recycling is so easy and would reduce debris marine pollution.  Plastic is not really bio-degradable.  It does not break down easily. 

 It is not just plastic and debris that pollutes our oceans.  There are oil leaks and other toxic chemicals that get leaked into the oceans and kill fish and other marine life. Over a million sea birds and one hundred thousand sea mammals die each year due to marine pollution.

So what action causes both air and marine pollution?  That is right.  Fracking!!! How can you help? inquire below. 

 

     

5 Energy Efficient Ideas

I decided to compose a list of the top ways to make your home more energy efficient.  Here is goes:


1) With your air conditioner:

• Make sure that you change the air filters regularly.  
• Make sure that your thermostat is an adjustable one.  
• If your A/C is old and you needs to be replaced consider an energy efficient unit. 
• Install ceiling fans to cut down on the use of your A/C

2) With your household appliances:

• Replace any old appliances with energy efficient appliances.  
• Set your water heater at 120 degrees and consider a tankless water heater.  
• Clean out your lint tray in the dryer with each use.
• Wash your clothes in warm water and rinse them in cold. 
• When doing a load of dishes or clothes, make sure that it is a full load, not a partial one 

  

3) With your light bulbs:

• Replace all incandescent light bulbs with florescent light bulbs
• Obviously, turn off any lights that are not needed

(I did write a whole article on the topic of light bulbs.  Click here to see it)

4) On the roof:

• Install solar panels
• When selecting roofing tiles, think with lighter colors
• Choose "cool" shingles when possible

5) Be water smart:

• Fix any dripping faucets or sprinklers outside 
• Install low-flow shower heads
• Install a water softener (this will also increase the life of you water heater) 

I hope that these tips help you.  Goodbye until next time. 

Save the Animals

I have mentioned before that fracking has killed fish in fresh bodies of fresh water in Pennsylvania.  This got me thinking about just how many animals are harmed by fracking so I did some research and here are some of the facts that I found: 

New report suggest that fracking is causing illness, death and reproductive issues in cows, horses, goats, llamas, chickens, dogs, cats, fish and other wildlife.  People report these issues occurring in their household pets.  I cannot even imagine what that must be like,  especially when you can't do anything about it. 

In California fracking was found to have a negative impact on several endangered species including: condors, kit foxes and blunt-nosed leopard lizards.   These guys cannot thrive with their homes being destroyed. 

See, this guy is too cute to kill.

Farmers and veterinarians in  Colorado, Louisiana, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas complain that the space being taken up by all of the frack plants in their area has adversely affected their live stock.  In one instance toxic chemicals being leaked from a nearby plant resulted in 17 dead cows.  There have also been reports of livestock developing reproductive problems date coincident with fracking starting in the area. 

Happy cow with no problems induced by fracking.

We still do not know the full impact fracking has on wildlife.  Experiments are still being conducted.  What we do know is that it is not good. In Ohio the Environmental Council expects to see quite a harmful impacts to the wildlife as fracking expands.  

This is something that needs to be stopped.  You can do your part by using the services of Renaissance Power and Gas if you are in the New York area.  We hope to be able to expand our program to include other areas and I will keep you posted as this happens.  Please inquire below if you have any questions.   

Denton Texas Bans Fracking

The city of Denton, TX is home to 125 thousand residents.  It is located atop the Barnett shale and has about 275 fracked wells.  It is one the most fracked towns in the US.  It also happens to be the birthplace of fracking. 

The residents of Denton were not happy about the fact that they could not even allow their children to play outside due to the pollution being caused by the fracking in the neighborhood so they decided to do something about it.  

In the recent election 59% decided to ban fracking in Denton, TX .  They became the first city in Texas to do so.  Other cities (Austin and Dallas among them ) have tried to get similar bans passed to no avail.  

Unfortunately, the ban that was passed did not really do anything about the wells already in operation but at least no more wells will be created and that is a start. 

 

As expected, oil companies immediately filed an injunction against the ban, saying that this may be inconsistent with state laws.  We will keep you informed on what exactly happens with this. 

    

Below is a list of States that have cities that have banned fracking: 

Texas 

California

Hawaii

Pennsylvania

Colorado

New Mexico

Ohio

We hope that many other cities follow in the brave footsteps of Denton and get fracking banned there too.  Here's to hoping that your city is next!!!

Methane

Methane was first discovered in  November 1776 by an Italian physicist named Alessandro Volta.  He discovered it in  the marshes of Lake Maggiore.  Volta captured the gas rising from the marsh and discovered that it was pure, flammable gas. 

As a greenhouse gas, methane is at least 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Methane is found both below ground, and under the sea floor.  It can find its way to the surface and get released into the earth's atmosphere.  This is called atmospheric methane.  Of all the things destroying our planet it would appear that methane could be destroying the planet faster than anything else. 

Crater

In July 2014 it was speculated that methane caused a mystery crater spotted in the frozen Yamal peninsula in Siberia.  Air near the bottom of the crater contained unusually high concentrations of methane.
    
In October 2014 scientists confirmed that there was a  vast cloud of methane floating in the air over New Mexico, Colorado, Utah and Arizona.  At first scientists thought there was a problem with their tests or equipment.  They could not believe that this could happen.  The further they looked into the matter the more clear it became that this was for real.

Unpolluted sky. 

Scientists believe that at the rate we are releasing methane into the atmosphere, it is possible that this Planet will not sustain life for very much longer.  
    
When we resort to fracking for our natural gas needs, methane leaks are inevitable. We need to not exacerbate the issue by continuing this dangerous practice.   

That is where Renaissance Power and Gas can help.  Please inquire about our service below if you live in the New York area.