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Obama Climate Plan Touts Gas Fracking As "Transition Fuel," Doubling Down on Methane Risk
Today, President Barack Obama announced his administration's "Climate Action Plan" for cutting carbon pollution in his second term in the Oval Office at Georgetown University and unfortunately, it's a full-throttle endorsement of every aspect of fracking and the global shale gas market.
Hydraulic fracturing ("fracking"
is the toxic horizontal drilling process via which gas is obtained from shale rock basins around the world, and touting its expanded use flies in the face of any legitimate plan to tackle climate change or create a healthy future for children.
...
Obama's plan also boasts about bringing the U.S. model for fracking abroad through the U.S. State Department's Global Shale Gas Initiative, now called the Unconventional Gas Technical Engagement Program.
"We have launched the Unconventional Gas Technical Engagement Program to share best practices on issues such as water management, methane emissions, air quality, permitting, contracting, and pricing to help increase global gas supplies and facilitate development of the associated infrastructure that brings them to market," the plan further explains.
Further locking in demand for fracking, the Obama climate plan also fully endorses T. Boone Pickens' "Pickens Plan," helping create a domestic market for natural gas vehicles, particularly for 18-wheelers. The plan also endorses shale gas exports.
"Going forward, we will promote fuel-switching from coal to gas for electricity production and encourage the development of a global market for gas. Since heavy-duty vehicles are expected to account for 40 percent of increased oil use through 2030, we will encourage the adoption of heavy duty natural gas vehicles as well," the fracked gas portion of the plan concludes.
...
http://desmogblog.com/2013/06/25/obama-climate-plan-touts-fracking-transition-fuel-doubling-down-methane-risk
Hydraulic fracturing ("fracking"
is the toxic horizontal drilling process via which gas is obtained from shale rock basins around the world, and touting its expanded use flies in the face of any legitimate plan to tackle climate change or create a healthy future for children.
...
Obama's plan also boasts about bringing the U.S. model for fracking abroad through the U.S. State Department's Global Shale Gas Initiative, now called the Unconventional Gas Technical Engagement Program.
"We have launched the Unconventional Gas Technical Engagement Program to share best practices on issues such as water management, methane emissions, air quality, permitting, contracting, and pricing to help increase global gas supplies and facilitate development of the associated infrastructure that brings them to market," the plan further explains.
Further locking in demand for fracking, the Obama climate plan also fully endorses T. Boone Pickens' "Pickens Plan," helping create a domestic market for natural gas vehicles, particularly for 18-wheelers. The plan also endorses shale gas exports.
"Going forward, we will promote fuel-switching from coal to gas for electricity production and encourage the development of a global market for gas. Since heavy-duty vehicles are expected to account for 40 percent of increased oil use through 2030, we will encourage the adoption of heavy duty natural gas vehicles as well," the fracked gas portion of the plan concludes.
...
I also noticed there was nothing in the speech about coal exports. He repeated the US had reduced carbon emissions. But he didn't mention we are exporting record amounts of coal and oil to be burned elsewhere.
That's carbon that the US has the ability prevent from ever being burned, and we aren't doing it.
