Two-Legged Wildlife Spotted On Tandy Hills In Fort Worth

Today was the second time in a row I've been startled by wildlife, in human form, whilst hiking the Tandy Hills Natural Sanatorium Area. This hills are getting crowded. No longer a 99.9% guaranteed solo experience.

I was coming down a steep hill and crossing a creek when a human voice greeted me. The greeter then scurried up the next hill, ahead of me. I whipped out my camera and caught the rare wildlife, I mean human, sighting on film, I mean, memory card.

The hills other hiker quickly went off trail. He was taking pictures with a big, old-fashioned, non-digital type camera, common in the last century. Maybe he went off trail looking for the mysterious Witchey Tree & the Death Van. I've given up finding it.

The air in Fort Worth does not seem as dirty as it did yesterday. My windows are open and my eyes are not burning. I now believe the symptoms I presented earlier were a false alarm and I am not coming down with an ailment. I hope.

Fort Worth's Natural Gas Is Officially...DIRTY

I just got back from Arlington where I saw an amusing 'environmentally friendly' sign on my way to check out the now finished new Dallas Cowboy Stadium.

I checked email to find fresh incoming from Don Young regarding the Barnett Shale natural gas drilling air pollution.

By the way that's a guinea pig, as in we are all being test animals for the first time ever massive drilling operation in a highly populated urban zone.

Below is the message from Don Young....

The Jig is Up !!!!!! Natural Gas is officially...DIRTY.

The "clean natural gas" myth has been debunked by none other than the State of Texas.

Mike Moncrief, Ed Ireland, Chesapeake, XTO and other environmental criminals were wrong.

Barnett Shale gas is now, officially, just another dirty fossil fuel and a major contributor to DFW smog.

How much?

200 TONS per day !!!!!

Dr. Al Armendariz of SMU, the Environmental Defense Fund and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) all agree that oil and gas development in the Barnett Shale is about equal to all the vehicles in the 9 county DFW Metroplex.

This particular study is ONLY about air quality.

When you factor in the water and safety issues, greenspace destruction and other quality of life issues, natural gas production is a significant endangerment to public health and safety.

Environmental Justice has been denied to people, pets and wildlife in the Barnett Shale.

Now the jig is up.

We are ready for some justice.

Click to read Dr. Armendaiz' press release and TCEQ data results.

The City Of Fort Worth Was Recognized For What?

Baffling incoming info from Don Young this morning. Something called the North Texas Clean Air Clean Air Coalition named Fort Worth as a Clean Air Champion and as the 2008 Working for Clean Air Fleet Operations Employer of the Year. Wow, that's a mouthful.

In foundationless type verbiage usually seen in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram the City of Fort Worth official website had the following opening sentence in their article about being an air pollution champion---"The City of Fort Worth prides itself on taking the lead in reducing air pollution."

How did someone ascertain that Fort Worth prides itself on this that or the other thing? I live in Fort Worth. I don't pride myself regarding Fort Worth taking the lead in anything, let alone reducing air pollution.

Regarding Fort Worth's air pollution, new research by The Emissions Inventory (EDF) conducted by Dr. Al Armendariz, Prof. of SMU's Environmental and Civil Engineering Dept. and announced at various university and public lectures in the past few weeks has a radically different view of Fort Worth's air pollution.

As in.....

--Toxic emissions of, NOx (Nitrogen oxide) and VOC's (hydrocarbons), directly attributable to gas drilling, are equal to ALL the motorized vehicles in the 9 county Metroplex, including Dallas.

--Barnett Shale drilling produces 262 tons per day of these pollutants.

--This does NOT include "fugitive emissions" which would at least EQUAL the NOx and VOC's.

--Nor does this include many other toxic pollutants such as, CO2 and NORM.

--This study does NOT include impacts on water supplies or other issues of human health and safety or environmental degradation caused by gas drilling.

--VOC's released into the environment can damage soil and groundwater.

--All contribute to global warming.

Does the City of Fort Worth, led by Mayor Mike Moncrief and his staff deserve recognition for cleaning up the air?

Consider this and draw your own conclusions:

--The City of FW has permitted about 300 NEW gas wells in 2008, alone.
--The city continues to issue new permits at the rate of approx. 30 per week.
--The total number of permitted gas wells in the city limits is near 1,500.
--Up to 7,000 gas wells are projected to be drilled inside the city limits of FW.
--The human population of Fort Worth is approx. 700,000.