I stand by my post on NIMBYism and leisure class environmentalism. You may agree with it, or you may disagree with it. You may even agree with the "lazy, crazy, deserves to die" non-sequitor posted in response. To quote the theologian John Henry Newman: "Truth is brought out by many minds working together freely." Democracy in action many times is not a pretty sight. And just so there is no confusion, my opinions are mine and mine alone. They are not the opinions of the Sustainable Tompkins organization, its members, etc., etc., etc. I had always assumed that, and I'm not sure why anybody would have thought otherwise. My questions remain: Who are we, living in a region so dependent on natural gas as an engine for our regional economy and the affluence we enjoy as a result, to say "No." to natural gas drilling and the risks it entails? What give us the right, as a region, to continue to foist off the environmental externalities of our afflunce on the poorer regions of the United States and the world? Liesure-class environmentalism is a major issue that the environmental movement has ignored for the past 40 years. I've dealt with it many times over the past 25 years as both a regulator and a community activist. It is definitely alive and well here in Ithaca, New York, and it definitely the driving force behind a lot of, but by no means all of the commentary that I have seen or heard opposing Marcellus Shale drilling. At the same time I am hearing a lot of cogent, articulate arguments as to why and how we must proceed with caution, or not proceed at all. I have my own concerns with regard to the draft GEIS and adequacy of the pending rules. As a native of Pennsylvania, a state that has already been environmentally ravaged by coal,oil, steel,and lumber interests, and which today spends $100 millions still trying to clean up the mess, I totally support the concept of "Not In Anybody's Backyard. I have to ask the proponents however just how and when this NIABYconcept will take effect? What is the date for shutting off the BIG VALVE somewhere beyond our region? How and when are we going to convert the 40,000 homes in Tompkins county currently burning oil, natural gas, propane or other imported fossil fuels to other sources of heat? And what would that source of heat be? Conversion of our home in Ithaca from natural gas to geothermal cost us $22,000 after tax credits are factored in. Multiply that figure by the roughly 11,000 dwellings in the City and Town of Ithaca alone and you have somewhere in the range of $170 million or more. Maybe that's why despite the press coverage nobody is beating down our contractor's door to follow our example. And, outside Tompkins County, what about the hundreds of communities in the surrounding region when are they going to convert, and how, given that they are not nearly as affluent as Ithaca and Tompkins County, are they going to afford it? NIABYism is a great idea, but the devil is in the details. By the way I just read (and not in the American news media) where a major new oil and gas field is in th early stages of development near Zanzibar off the coats of Tanzania. There goes another Third World back yard. George Frantz _______________________________________________ For more information about sustainability in the Tompkins County area, please visit: http://www.sustainabletompkins.org/
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