Kathryn Phillips, Sierra Club California a newsletter April 24, 2015

At least once during an average week, someone asks me where the Club stands on a particular water-related issue. Are we for or against the Delta tunnels? (We're opposed to the tunnels.) Do we think farmers are doing their part to respond to the drought? (Not entirely.) Why is the oil industry allowed to pollute water and then inject it into drinking water aquifers? (Good question, and it's one we keep asking the Governor and regulatory agencies. So far, we haven't heard a smart, logical, transparent answer.) The questions just keep rolling in. The one I like the most, is about the drought: What would Sierra Club California do that the governor isn't doing to help California deal with the drought? You—or someone like you—asked, so here's the answer: First, let's give credit where credit is due: the governor and the State Water Resources Control Board have taken some smart steps recently to address the drought in ways we support. For instance, the administration is forcing urban water agencies to impose new mandatory conservation measures. Given that around half of the water used in urban and suburban areas is devoted to landscaping—which typically means lawns—it is possible to make substantial cutbacks without affecting human health in cities and suburbs. We especially like that as the water board set its most recent conservation targets, the board took into account whether a water agency had already successfully reduced water demand. Whiners beware (and there were quite a few water agencies whining to the press): Arguing that you should be excused from conserving more because your neighborhood has really big lawns isn't a winning argument. But there are more things that policymakers, including the governor, should do in response to the drought that they haven't yet. Here are a few of them: Get the data now. This is more than a wonky request. Water agencies and other water users often hide behind the lack of real, hard numbers about how much water is available, water use or well capacity to stop them from having to change their ways. Water is a shared resource that serves all the public and the environment. We all have a right to know how much there is and how much is being used. There ought to be real-time reporting by all users to help manage the water system better. The legislature has a chance to start fixing the data gap by passing legislation to make well log data public. Set a water allocation level for agriculture that reflects sustainability and includes surface and groundwater. Farmers are operating under substantial surface water allocation cuts this year. But that just means that many have simply transferred their water draw to groundwater, and in some rural areas, the aquifers are draining faster than you can say water buffalo. We don't want to get into fights about crop choice, but we do want farmers to use water sustainably and  more efficiently, and the best way to do that is to be clear about water allocations and include all water in the calculation, not just surface water. Accelerate deadlines for implementing the groundwater reform package passed last year.This would require new legislation or just a good show of civic and social responsibility by groundwater basin agencies, particularly in the troubled basins in the San Joaquin Valley. And in the course of accelerating the deadlines, establish some real consequences for overdrawing aquifers. Stop allowing water use for unconventional oil and gas extraction. That is, stop allowing water to be used for fracking, acid stimulation and other forms of well stimulation. The average fracking job in California uses about 140,000 gallons of water. Some recent well stimulation permits show expectations of using a million gallons. That water is highly polluted with chemicals and acids and essentially unusable ever again. If the state must have oil drilling—and we are not conceding it does—stick with conventional oil drilling methods, from which about 80 percent of the California-produced oil is derived. A drought is no time to frack. Governor Brown could—and should—do this with an executive order today. Protect nature instead of destroying it. If only the water engineers of the mid- and late-20thcentury had been smart about the environment, we probably wouldn't be in as bad a fix as we're in today. For instance, had they focused on recharge areas to allow water to percolate into aquifers, not a single river would have been channelized and slathered with concrete. Additionally, there would be no more waiving of endangered species protection requirements, and the stupidity of allowing more water than healthy to be exported from the San Francisco Bay Delta would be universally appreciated. Every event creates an opportunity for learning and improving. This drought is one of the events that can teach us to use our natural resources more carefully. We see hints that policymakers are starting to learn. Sincerely, Kathryn Phillips Director Sierra Club California is the Sacramento-based legislative and regulatory advocacy arm of the 13 California chapters of the Sierra Club.

The TRUTH will set you FREE.

One way the TSA scans us at airports is about to be tried in court

And now for what you've been waiting for: The Upworthiest! *smoke machine, flashy lights* One way the TSA scans us at airports is about to be tried in court. Nursing home residents are certain this tiny dog is from heaven. After seeing her in action, I agree! Sweet, naive Amy Schumer stumbles upon 3 show biz gals and gets schooled on what she's valued for.

The TRUTH will set you FREE.

Admit it! Corporate Cash Changed Snyder's Mind on Union Busting...

The TRUTH will set you FREE.

Oil firms face further cuts as low prices linger

Apr 24th, 2015

by John Donovan. 

No comments yet

Oil firms face further cuts as low prices linger

Commodities | Fri Apr 24, 2015 12:23pm BST

* Big oil using spending cuts to increase efficiency

* Q1 earnings set to drop by more than 50 pct, tracking oil price

* Strong refining margins set to continue

By Ron Bousso

LONDON, April 24 (Reuters) – Oil majors may need deeper cuts to oil and gas exploration and production spending as they grapple with an extended period of low crude prices.

The industry is expected to reveal another set of grim earnings for the first quarter when benchmark Brent prices averaged $55 a barrel, almost half the level of a year ago.

read more

Share this:

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Email
• Print

Like this:

Loading...

Posted in: BP, Chevron, Conoco Phillips, Exxon Mobil, Gas, Oil Company Profits, Oil Prices, Reuters, Royal Dutch Shell Plc, Shell, Statoil, Total.
Tagged: BP · Chevron · ExxonMobil · Gas · Oil · Oil Prices · Royal Dutch Shell Plc · Total

The TRUTH will set you FREE.

SHELL’S COPS

SHELL’S COPS

Apr 24th, 2015 

by John Donovan. 

No comments yet

EMAIL SENT TODAY BY FORMER SHELL E&P IRELAND SUPPLIER OSSL, TO THE IRISH POLICE ( THE GARDA) AND SENIOR SHELL EXECUTIVES, INCLUDING BEN VAN BEURDEN.

OSSL HAS BLOWN THE WHISTLE ON SHELL CORRUPTION OF SENIOR IRISH COPS NAMED BELOW AND IS NOW BEING INVESTIGATED BY THE SAME POLICE FORCE ON BEHALF OF THE IRISH DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC PROSECUTIONS FOR ALLEGED HARASSMENT. 

From: THE OSSL COMPANY <osslbangor@hotmail.com>

Date: 24 April 2015 07:29:29 BST

To: “Belmullet.DistrictOffice” <Belmullet.DistrictOffice@garda.ie>, “<ben.van.beurden@shell.com>” <ben.van.beurden@shell.com>,ronan.deasy@shell.com, Commissioner <Commissioner@garda.ie>

Subject: police alcohol DPP has Belmullet Policewoman investigating Belmullet delivery with a …view to prosecuting the Shell vendor who delivered the Shell / Garda joint venture alcohol .

read more

Share this:

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Email
• Print

Like this:

Loading...

Posted in: Ben van Beurden, Bribery, Business Principles, Corrib Gas Project,Corruption, Garda, Gas, GoogleNews, Ireland, Litigation, OSSL, Royal Dutch Shell Plc,Shell.
Tagged: Ben van Beurden · Corrib Gas Project · Corruption · Royal Dutch Shell Plc

The TRUTH will set you FREE.

U.S. Maps Pinpoint Earthquakes Linked to Quest for Oil and Gas

U.S. Maps Pinpoint Earthquakes Linked to Quest for Oil and Gas

Apr 24th, 2015

by John Donovan. 

No comments yet

“Predicting risk is also hard, the report noted, because there is no scientific consensus on just how powerful such quakes can be. The report estimated the effects of shocks up to magnitudes 6 and 7, while noting that some scientists have speculated that the catastrophic 7.9-magnitude earthquake in China in 2008 was caused by human activity.”

Article By RICHARD PÉREZ-PEÑA PUBLISHED APRIL 23, 2015 BY THE NEW YORK TIMES

The United States Geological Survey on Thursday released its first comprehensive assessment of the link between thousands of earthquakes and oil and gas operations, identifying and mapping 17 regions where quakes have occurred.

The report was the agency’s broadest statement yet on a danger that has grown along with the nation’s energy production.

By far the hardest-hit state, the report said, is Oklahoma, where earthquakes are hundreds of times more common than they were until a few years ago because of the disposal of wastewater left over from extracting fuels and from drilling wells by injecting water into the earth. But the report also mapped parts of eight other states, from Lake Erie to the Rocky Mountains, where that practice has caused quakes, and said most of them were at risk for more significant shaking in the future.

read more

Share this:

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Email
• Print

Like this:

Loading...

Posted in: Associated Press, China, Environment, Fracking, Gas, Groningen Earthquakes,New York Times, Oil.
Tagged: China · Gas · Hydrofracking

The TRUTH will set you FREE.

Royal Dutch Shell Oil Platform ‘Polar Pioneer’

Royal Dutch Shell Oil Platform ‘Polar Pioneer’

Apr 24th, 2015

by John Donovan. 

No comments yet

My name is Michael McNerney and I am retired Coast Guard having worked in Marine Safety. I’ve worked in the Puget Sound AOR and enjoyed working around the Maritime Environment and the ships that pass through.

I also take photo’s and this is just amazing to me to have this engineering marvel stop off in Port Angeles, WA awaiting its berth in Seattle’s Elliot Bay.

I thought that I would share a photo of your Platform in Port Angeles.

Michael McNerney

CWO4 (USCG-Ret)

Share this:

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Email
• Print

Like this:

Loading...

Posted in: Alaska, Arctic, Oil, Royal Dutch Shell Plc, Shell, United States.
Tagged: Alaska · Arctic Ocean · Oil · Royal Dutch Shell Plc

The TRUTH will set you FREE.