Friday, July 2, 2010

Stop Jiggling Your Toilet To Save Water So The Natural Gas Drillers Have More To Waste

For what seems months now I've driven by a bizarrely ironic billboard, while driving west on Bridge Street, right by the CBS TV Station, visible to westbound drivers on Interstate 30.

The billboard admonishes drivers to "Stop Jjggling. Start fixing." With the message apparently coming from "-Your toilet."

On the Toilet Tank you are directed to a website, SaveNorthTexasWater.com.

This billboard is very near the Trinity River. It is also very near a spot on the Trinity River where last winter I observed a lot of water being wasted, never to enter the eco-system again, not in a healthy way.

Just today I already mentioned an article in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram about well water being contaminated by nearby Barnett Shale Natural Gas Drilling.

That is one water issue.

Another water issue, regarding the Barnett Shale, is the fact that millions of gallons of water are being taken from North Texas water sources, like the Trinity River, mixed with chemicals, forced down wells, with the contaminated water then stored, supposedly safely, somewhere.

With this type water "use" and "misuse" going on all over North Texas, someone, somewhere, decides that the water waste problem could be alleviated by putting up billboards telling people to fix their toilets? Complete with a website to give you tips as to how you can do your part. Like not excessively water your lawn.

This is Orwellian. It's Third Reichian type propaganda. It's focusing on the little teeny harmless mouse in the room while pretending not to see the rogue elephant that is stomping damage all over North Texas. And other parts of America.

Now, it used to be whenever I'd blog something critical about the Barnett Shale operations I'd see Oklahoma City light up on my blog stats and I'd get moronic comments from Chesapeake shills. Chesapeake seems to have given up that rather fruitless effort.

I have said it once, I'll say it again. I am not against extracting natural gas out of the Barnett Shale. Just like I'm not against drilling for oil in the Gulf of Mexico. But, only if it is done with absolutely safe methods.

It is clear, at least to me, that the Barnett Shale natural gas drilling is damaging the water supply of North Texas. The gas drilling is also damaging the air quality.

Both issues need to be addressed and all drilling operations need to be stopped until the issues are addressed. Same with drilling in the Gulf.

In my humble opinion.

And someone, please, take down that idiotic "Toilet" billboard. It's embarrassing.

8 comments:

TXsharon said...

In 2009, Barnett Shale drillers used 1,146,598,272.73 gallons of fresh water from the metered sources in the Upper Trinity Groundwater Conservation District. That water was permanently removed from our active hydrologic cycle.

KM said...

Have you heard of the documentary "Gasland"?
http://gaslandthemovie.com/

http://www.npr.org/templates/rundowns/rundown.php?prgId=13&prgDate=6-10-2010

Durango said...

TXSharon----That is an appalling, shocking amount of water.

Miss Zelda---I have heard of GASLAND. I had intended to watch in last week on HBO. But forgot. I think part of GASLAND was filmed in my neighborhood.

KM said...

Crap.

KM said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Durango said...

Zelda, you said "Crap" twice. Why?

KM said...

I have no idea.

Durango said...

Zelda, well, if you have no idea I don't know who would. Now one of your "Crap"s has been removed. I sort of like the double "crap".