J.S. McGowan Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 A gentleman came to my school today to talk about fracking. He was a very nice man who seemed to know his stuff. Shell and some other oil companies want to Frack in the Karoo. The Karoo is an area of beautiful semi desert which makes up, I think he said, two thirds of South Africa. The South African Government has put a moratorium on the oil companies to come ad prospect: but it is most likely that they will be allowed to start at some point this year. My family owns a Farm house/ holiday home in the Karoo so I am concerned about the implication of Fracking. Im wondering whether the Oil Companies have perfected their Fracking or whether their environmental impact can still culminates to such levels as causing peoples drinking water to become flammable! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merjet Posted March 15, 2012 Share Posted March 15, 2012 There was an article about this two days ago in the Wall Street Journal. See here. Reading the whole thing on-line requires a subscription. If you don't have one, there are other ways. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Gagne Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 Been following this for years. Depends on if it's petrofracking (ok) or water fracking (not so much).More info : http://email.angelnexus.com/ct/7269850:10557585243:m:1:176305702:5DF2B0E36C1B5AE65F9C06EA032AE5E0:r Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brant Gaede Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 A gentleman came to my school today to talk about fracking. He was a very nice man who seemed to know his stuff. Shell and some other oil companies want to Frack in the Karoo. The Karoo is an area of beautiful semi desert which makes up, I think he said, two thirds of South Africa. The South African Government has put a moratorium on the oil companies to come ad prospect: but it is most likely that they will be allowed to start at some point this year. My family owns a Farm house/ holiday home in the Karoo so I am concerned about the implication of Fracking.Im wondering whether the Oil Companies have perfected their Fracking or whether their environmental impact can still culminates to such levels as causing peoples drinking water to become flammable!Why did he come to your school and who was he and what did he say?--Brant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BaalChatzaf Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 What is one supposed to do if the water from his tap catches on fire?Ba'al Chatzaf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merjet Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 What is one supposed to do if the water from his tap catches on fire?Ba'al ChatzafRapidly moving water burns?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BaalChatzaf Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 What is one supposed to do if the water from his tap catches on fire?Ba'al ChatzafRapidly moving water burns??No. The dissolved gas coming out is ignitable. Natural gas dissolved in tap water can have health effects. Fracking fracks up the drinking water to some extent.Ba'al Chatzaf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selene Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 What is one supposed to do if the water from his tap catches on fire?Ba'al Chatzaf1) Drink bottled water; and2) Develop a system to attach to the water line before in gets to the tap which will remove the gas and bottle it for sale.Adam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brant Gaede Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 What is one supposed to do if the water from his tap catches on fire?Ba'al Chatzaf1) Drink bottled water; and2) Develop a system to attach to the water line before in gets to the tap which will remove the gas and bottle it for sale.AdamLight your cigar. (Be careful when you flush your toilet.)--Brant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reidy Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 This one looks good, though I haven't finished reading it. The author takes up the burning-water story: http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/293086/truth-about-fracking-kevin-d-williamson?pg=2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merjet Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 This one looks good, though I haven't finished reading it. The author takes up the burning-water story: http://www.nationalr...williamson?pg=2It says the image about a man setting fire to tap water at his kitchen sink was a fraud. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BaalChatzaf Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 What is one supposed to do if the water from his tap catches on fire?Ba'al Chatzaf1) Drink bottled water; and2) Develop a system to attach to the water line before in gets to the tap which will remove the gas and bottle it for sale.AdamThe additional cost of removing dissolved natural gas from the water destined to be drunk, should lie with those who put the natural gas in the water in the first place.Ba'al Chatzaf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anthony Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 There is a lot of ire from farmers, conservationists and public in South Africa about frackingthe Karoo. In the article from Reidy, the author claims the only real harm can come from pollution withwaste water that comes up with the gas. The aquifer, he says, is completely safe.Here, you'd think the whole Karoo was at risk.I've just come from 10 days in an area at the Western tip ofthe Karoo - actually the Klein (Small) Karoo - which I know well, and which is marvellous photomaterial, mountainous and rugged. The rest of the Karoo is miles and miles of f-all.Vast sheep ranches, mostly. It does hold its own beauty, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BaalChatzaf Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 What is one supposed to do if the water from his tap catches on fire?Ba'al Chatzaf1) Drink bottled water; and2) Develop a system to attach to the water line before in gets to the tap which will remove the gas and bottle it for sale.AdamThe additional cost of removing dissolved natural gas from the water destined to be drunk, should lie with those who put the natural gas in the water in the first place. This, of course, will be passed on the consumer. The ground water should not be regarded as a free dump for byproducts of gas exploitation. Ba'al Chatzaf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.S. McGowan Posted March 18, 2012 Author Share Posted March 18, 2012 This one looks good, though I haven't finished reading it. The author takes up the burning-water story: http://www.nationalr...williamson?pg=2Thank you so much for posting the link to this article. I really enjoyed reading it and I think I understand the matter a lot better now. I cant wait to show my friend (who is the president of the Environmental club at my school) Here, you'd think the whole Karoo was at risk.Do you say this because of the frantic attitude of the fracking opposition? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anthony Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 Here, you'd think the whole Karoo was at risk. Do you say this because of the frantic attitude of the fracking opposition?More a bit of wry hyperbole on my part to the knee-jerk alarmism, I have been picking up.I've only lately been educating myself on fracking, specifically in the Karoo.So far, (while consciously trying to avoid the easy trap of assuming it is all insane Luddism)Ive read and heard the same old anti-Big Oil, pro- Nature-at-all-costs, rationales - often by people who know lessthan I do. Like all environmental issues, one is forced to take sides when there might not be any dilemma betweentechnology and natural beauty, practically speaking. The inconvenient truth for any extremists with suspect principles, (nature good, man bad) who may be driving this movement, is that fracking has been tried and tested in many parts of the world - several States of the US, the Netherlands and Australia - for as long as 50 years in the case of Texas. Without incident, that I've seen.I recommend an article in the S.A. online newspaper "Daily Maverick", written by one Ivo Vegter, on this topic.He unbundles it very well, and objectively.BTW, welcome to OL! Are you in the Western, or Eastern Cape? From what you related of your school, I'd guessit is Bishop's in Cape Town, or St. Andrew's in Grahamstown. Am I close? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.S. McGowan Posted March 21, 2012 Author Share Posted March 21, 2012 I'm from the western cape. and I live on the Garden Route (SA's very own bible belt )I go to a private, christian ethos school in George... Not yet quite as prestigious as the schools you mentioned... (but we are IEB... ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.S. McGowan Posted March 21, 2012 Author Share Posted March 21, 2012 Here, you'd think the whole Karoo was at risk. Do you say this because of the frantic attitude of the fracking opposition?More a bit of wry hyperbole on my part to the knee-jerk alarmism, I have been picking up.I've only lately been educating myself on fracking, specifically in the Karoo.So far, (while consciously trying to avoid the easy trap of assuming it is all insane Luddism)Ive read and heard the same old anti-Big Oil, pro- Nature-at-all-costs, rationales - often by people who know lessthan I do. Like all environmental issues, one is forced to take sides when there might not be any dilemma betweentechnology and natural beauty, practically speaking.The inconvenient truth for any extremists with suspect principles, (nature good, man bad) who may be driving this movement, is that fracking has been tried and tested in many parts of the world - several States of the US, the Netherlands and Australia - for as long as 50 years in the case of Texas. Without incident, that I've seen.I recommend an article in the S.A. online newspaper "Daily Maverick", written by one Ivo Vegter, on this topic.He unbundles it very well, and objectively.BTW, welcome to OL! Are you in the Western, or Eastern Cape? From what you related of your school, I'd guessit is Bishop's in Cape Town, or St. Andrew's in Grahamstown. Am I close? I'm from the western cape. and I live on the Garden Route (SA's very own bible belt )I go to a private, christian ethos school in George... Not yet quite as prestigious as the schools you mentioned... (but we are IEB... ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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