Thursday, May 17, 2007

Raping the Land

"Hi, I'm with the government (US, Canada- take your pick), and we're here to get our coal-bed methane that's under your land". Those are words no rancher or farmer or nature lover wants to hear. Here's why:





The coal-bed methane (CBM) industry and the government form what is known as Public/Private Partnerships, (PPP's). Such partnerships are immune to democratic regulatory process. Together with the powerful oil and gas lobbies, they wield an almost unstoppable force.

I'm not saying we shouldn't get the methane or the oil. But with no input allowed to influence the regulation process, the oil and gas-getters will opt for the most direct and cheapest means available, ecology be damned. One more way your tax dollars are being spent - just in case anyone's interested.