An editorialist has your back as he jumps on the fracking bandwagon.
Fracking — and seemingly anything related to drilling, oil, natural gas, fuel, etc. — has been the redheaded stepchild for quite some time among environmental groups and what one writer is calling “Big Green” (a play on Big Business). But things are looking up.
Perhaps a simple opinion piece on the Gazette website doesn’t hold much weight, but there is a silver lining. Someone is speaking up — in a very public fashion — about the benefits of fracking and the economical advantages states have experienced since the exploration practice started booming in the U.S.
The editorial, aptly titled “Fracking raises workers’ salaries, cuts costs for states,” outlines a slew of reasons the unconventional practice has been beneficial, including savings for educational and government agencies and more job opportunities with higher salaries for out-of-work people.
“Fracking is reducing electricity and gas prices, which helps governments do more with less money,” the article proclaims, citing lower costs to heat school districts nationwide with abundant, cheap natural gas made available from fracking.
Findings from a study recently released by the American Petroleum Institute and conducted by IHS Consulting Economics prompted the opinion piece. The consulting firm measured the benefits of the oil and gas industry — drilling and production enabled by fracking — generated for all levels of government in recent years.
The firm says unconventional oil and gas supports 1.7 million jobs in the U.S., which, of course, is good news after years of slow — or nonexistent — economic growth after the 2008 crash.
The Gazette editorial argues that state and local governments received a total of $720 million in savings on electricity and gas in recent years due to fracking. “Fracking has saved state and local governments enough money to hire (or at least to avoid laying off) the equivalent of 25,000 full-time employees.”
Although environmental groups — adversaries of critical topics like fracking — will probably always have differing opinions, think of this as a small step for the oil and gas industry.
Give yourselves a pat on the back. There are people out there who understand you’re working hard and providing services that benefit individuals and communities nationwide.
What’s your opinion on environmental activists who argue that nothing good can come from fracking or associated oil and gas services? Post a comment below.
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