When I find myself in an argument, I try to find a story that appeals to
people on the opposite side of where I am. The Marcellus Shale story
has been presented pretty much as environmental concerns vs. a gold
rush, a windfall for long-suffering landowners and tax collectors.
I wrote a piece this morning that's meant primarily for the local folks
seeking that windfall:
<http://livingindryden.org/2009/11/economic_reasons_to_delay_marc.html>
There's controversy and conflict over how much these wells will produce
and for how long, all in a time of collapsed natural gas prices.
Perhaps especially for folks motivated primarily by economic interest,
it's hard to see why rushing forward to open these wells as quickly as
possible makes sense.
I worry that this piece may play into George's valid concerns about
letting it happen elsewhere, but I'm not sure this intended audience, is
concerned about that anyway. Letting other places get less for their
gas isn't likely to trouble people focused on maximizing their long-term
profit.
Anyway, I hope this angle might lead to a calmer discussion, one in
which both sides of the conversation can agree that it's worth taking
time to figure this out.
--
Simon St.Laurent
http://simonstl.com/
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