The horrific effects of fracking continue to grow with doctors in Pennsylvania now caught up in the web of deceit.
Hydraulic fracturing technology, known as fracking, explodes millions of gallons of toxic chemical solutions deep into the ground in order to free natural gas deposits for drilling companies to exploit for massive profit.
Over 5,000 drilling wells have been blasted across the state of Pennsylvania alone, with more added each and every week.
These toxic chemicals being pumped into the ground are making people in relative proximity to the wells sick – very, very sick – even at low levels of exposure. Over 85% of the 750 chemicals used in fracking are known carcinogens!
While Pennsylvania law requires drilling companies to inform local doctors what chemicals are being used so that they can properly treat the victims of exposure, it also now requires doctors who are briefed to sign a confidentiality agreement to keep them from telling anyone about what exactly is making these people sick. This includes informing their own patients as well as other healthcare professionals!
Similar fracking laws are already on the books in Ohio, Texas, and Colorado.
Shockingly, it appears that State authorities have completely rolled over on this issue and have prioritized the “proprietary secrets” of the drilling companies ahead of the needs of public health.
Despite its so called dedication to green technologies and businesses, Federal authorities have also shown no desire to reign in this horrifically damaging technology which is akin to strip mining of decades past.
Why can’t the Obama administration simply require the disclosure of exactly what is being pumped into the ground to dislodge natural gas deposits? No doubt if such a move were made, the public outrage and outcry would result in the swift cessation of fracking across the nation.
And those hefty campaign contributions from fracking executives and their operatives would come to a screeching halt.
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist
Source: Pennyslvania Law Gags Doctors
I had no idea.. 🙁 This is terrible!
Absolutely! 😀
Thank you Rene, Two things which I live by, trust your neighbors, but brand your calves, and believe half of what you see, and 2% of what the media tells you. Cynical but true 🙂
Very well said Don 🙂 There seems to be a new reason every day why the world is coming to an end… And it’s always a conspiracy.
Fracing occurs at 10,000-15,000 feet underground. the water which occurs there naturally can be very toxic, it is loaded with things like H2S, which will kill you at a concentration of 100 PPM (parts per million) with an exposure time of only a few seconds. I have worked around the oil and gas industry, for many years, not because it is my job of choice, but because I had a family to feed. When I first broke out as a rough neck, 30 years ago, there were many, many things which were wrong with the oil field, from watering roads for dust control, with produced water, to throwing the new guy (called the worm) into the reserve pit as a kind of hazing. When I had to take a job back in the oil field after an absence of many years. I found an entirely different atmosphere, where H.E.S. (health, environment, and safety) is the number one concern. I am not saying that everything is always done to perfection as there is always the human component, and people do make mistakes. I am saying that “fracing” is the new boogie man in the closet, and that unless you research the actual mechanism of well drilling, you are only parroting the (possibly politically motivated) scare tactics of someone with an axe to grind, or wanting your tax deductible donation. We have already produced the low hanging fruit of the hydrocarbon tree. There is no place where Jed Clampet can miss a squirrel and have a producing well. At the depths where the oil and gas are being produced from, fracing is not an alternative but a necessity to produce oil and gas. Believe me, if the major oil companies could produce a well without fracing, they would not spend the additional money to do so. The last I heard in my area of Western Colorado, a well costs somewhere between $1,500,000 and $2,000,000. from the day it is surveyed until it starts producing. In this my part of the country the oil companies have been (gasp) losing money since the summer of 2008. You might try losing your preconceived notions of big oil, and instead concentrate on what you know best, and what I appreciate you for tremendously, which is help us all with our natural lifestyle, through better nutrition.
Melinda, I was just thinking of writing the same thing– I don’t appreciate the tone of the posts here because I think we assume people are taking an argumentative tone and really, we’d all get a lot more done if we found ways to get along with each other. You could probably teach me volumes of your experiences and maybe I could too from my past positions. This is why sometimes I think having a woman in power might be a good thing. We tend to realize this a little quicker. It’s too bad we don’t have a better forum for discussing these issues. We really should learn more from the people who are actually doing this so we know exactly what is going on. I don’t fit into a Republican label because I’m so passionate about taking care of our environment too. I really don’t fit any label. Just “Beth”… ha! Take care!
Beth, I thought you might find this interesting, since we were talking about Medicare. Dr. Krugman is a Nobel Prize winning economist. Here’s HIS take on Medicare and the Romney/Ryan plans: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/31/opinion/Krugman.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss
Thanks Melinda! Although I can’t stand Paul Krugman at all, I did read it, ignoring his flaming liberalism. At this point, if he is right, then Medicare will drastically change (and many won’t be able to afford their drug prescriptions– which in my mind isn’t a bad thing after all because many are unnecessary and dangerous like statins). But if the Republicans are right, we’re just bankrupting our country if we continue on the path of Obamacare. I guess you’d have to ask a middle class American who’s been out of work: “Which is more important to you– not losing your house because you can’t pay for a mortgage because you’re out of work and groceries are too expensive (and Obama wants to raise your taxes starting this next year) or getting medical coverage above $6,000.00 a year but maybe your kids won’t be able to pursue their dreams because of the amount of taxes they’ll be required to pay and the scarcity of jobs, if they can even afford to go to college or get necessary training for more than minimum wage work? I’m guessing the top priority is turning around this economy. I love how Europeans chime in on these posts yet they are in a pretty bad economic state and envy our life in the U.S.
beth – you have been going on and beating this dead horse for days now – you beleive what you believe and others will do same – you have not convinced anyone yet you continue – to the point where insults are levied.
You Just don’t like Mr Obama. You eliminate any intellectual basis of argument when you speak about certains thing that were not done by his admin – or certain things that were undone.
You speak of the the economy: you had 8 years to shure up the economy, yet the 8 years were spent seeing that it crashed and burned. What, did all of a sudden, some new economics majors graduate and now they have new bright and better ideas, and it is a coincidence that are all on romneys team? So too with health care issues , and pulling out troops etc.
You act, and argue that Mr Obama came in and messed up this perfect world, where every thing was honky dory, where you beth were rich and now your poor with out health benefits or schooling for your kids.
It just shows either your ignorance of how things really and truly work, or the 8oo lb gorrila in the room, you just are not happy with a black pres……..
Quincy– I was just politely responding to Melinda’s comment to me. I appreciate your opinions Melinda because I like to hear what you think about this. Quincy, you’ve already stated earlier that you voted based on Pres. Obama’s skin color and not on his ideologies. I vote on political ideologies not on the color or ethnicity or gender of the person running for office. It’s wrong that you address me as doing any of your long list of complaints as I’m not in politics, but was a teacher and small business owner at the time I think you’re talking about all of that.
Mr. Quincy, YOU are the reason that racism still exists in this country. It exists whenever you blame someone else of being a racist because in your mind all white people are evil and hate you. That’s never been in my mind, but you continually point that out so it must be your norm. I feel very sorry for you. Very sorry.
Melinda, I’ve actually enjoyed hearing your opinions and it’s helped me to see where someone in your place in life is viewing this whole thing. It’s all difficult– the economy, the healthcare system, the environment, the education system– hopefully the next president can point us in the right direction. Mitt Romney’s proven record of success in management of business is what I’m looking for, as well as being a genuinely nice person and a good man. He’s respectable and I’ll be voting for him this November. I made up my mind last evening listening to him.
Whatever comments are left in response to this, I’m sorry but I won’t get because I have too many other things going on right now so you can hold your tongue or talk to someone else who cares to listen… I’m unchecking “follow”. Thanks Melinda!
Nice try beth. Alas however, your reputation preceeds you… You go back and forth from to polite to rude with the greatest of ease – and for some reason you think no one notices.
And you are wrong about me voting based on race. I do not vote at all! I have never voted in my life and I have had 30 voting years to do so. There is no way i want to be really involved with such idiocy – the likes of which you and your opponents, politically, exhibit here in this forum.
One is completly clueless and naive to think that people are poor because or democrats and that people are rich because of republicans (or vice versa). It is stupid to think that not raising taxes is something only republicans care about – did you forget that there are just as many rich democrats. Rich people care about there money and do not desire to give it away to taxes – poor people consist of both dems and reps, and they don’t want to part with their small dollars either – However, the smartest republicans along with the wisest democrats realise taxes in this country will always be a nesscsary evil ( and benefit). It is directly linked to taxes that we are the greatest country in the world – by great i mean the biggest war machines, the grandest infrastructure (Cities, highways, bridges, etc), the largest companies that reach the furthest globally, the biggest education system (although not the best), health care, medicade, and a host of so many other things created by people – not republicans and democrats – those two idiot entities that can’t ever get out of their own way.
The reason racism still exists – well the answer to that is in your own heart and soul. I don’t hate black people – I don’t loathe white people. I hate and loathe people who hate and loathe people because of the color of their skin, their religion, their country of origin, the gender, their sexual preferences etc etc etc .
Stop hiding behind some crappy political campaign stance and get with the program. You really think the republicans like Mitt? They are “settling” on him cause that’s all they got, not because he’s some economic wizard – many city and state governments have righted their respective ships (budgets) – that will always be a different ball game on the big stage.
If it weren’t we would all be fine and dandy by now – or, we wouldn’t have gotten into this mess in the first place during 8 years of republican rule.
@Quincy … if you do not vote at all, then why are complaining about anything? Please get involved and get out and vote. Get informed on the issues, find out what the candidates REALLY stand for by checking how they voted on issues that are important to you. I don’t personally care WHO you vote for (Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Constitution, etc.), but it is a crying shame to see someone complain about the way things are going when they have done nothing about it. Never forget that a small group of concerned citizens can change the world. People in other countries overthrow their dictators and stand in line for days for the privilege of voting, yet here in America, the turnout is pathetic.
Put up or shut up. Get involved or quit complaining.
Joy, I have every right to complain. Voting, or choosing not to vote, something we fought for as well, does not allow or disallow one from “complaining”. What gives me the freedom and right to complain, appropriately enough, is the fact that I pay taxes.
You spoke of voting for politicians and a small group of concerned citizens can change the world — I don’t know about the politicians, but throughout our history it has never been politicians or politics, that has made any real changes — it has ALWAYS been the people. It was the People, who fought against the British to give us our independence — subsequently, and unfortunately, it was the people who raped and pillaged and took over the lands owned by Indians. It was the PEOPLE who sailed to Africa and kidnapped peoples to work in their fields.
Centuries later it was the people who fought and died to end slavery (or to keep it). It was the people, women, who demanded a right for fair wages and to vote and so many things that politics was unable to do. It was Martin and Malcom, and PEOPLES who marched endlessly to have a right to breathe freely in a free country. Don’t tell me about what politics can do — it’s what people have done, in this nation and around the world, to impart change and do away with injustices.
It’s people like henry ford and Rockefeller, and doctors and scientists, and architects, and educators, and other captains of industry (albeit some corrupt), that make a country what it is. It’s the hard working laborers that make a country as great as it is. And it is the taxes paid by the PEOPLE , that allow for so many of the freedoms that we have — starting right in your communities, with police protection and firemen also risking their lives — that’s what taxes help to do. Taxes paid for by people.
You joy will never know what is in a candidates heart. What they voted on last week is not what they feel this week, and if you agreed with what they voted on last week then you will be angry when they change their minds — which they do.
Stop waiting around for politicians to change the world — is has always been and it will continue to be changed by the masses. If you wish to stay “involved” with the world of politicians and politics (of which I was a major at university), that is your right. I choose not to.
I guess because I’m surrounded by Republicans here, I hear more about their views and when I talk to Democrats like my mom, she never knows enough about the issues to actually discuss it and refuses to. So I’m sorry for assuming you are the same. I also have a friend who workedbin Washington during the Repub. Administration and she’s just as bad. I’m also sorry for typing your name wrong …between autocorrect on my iPad and the blog refusing to allow corrections it was too much to go back. Thanks for not slamming me on that!(I’m finger pecking right now) you think I am not thinking about these issues but I am and I care very deeply. I just have a different philosophy about how things could work. We both are studying the facts right now.nI understand your apprehension to Ryan but I think they are using him to bring in the vote, not for his agenda. I didn’t think it was the smartest choice but I don’t know why most decisions are made there. My ideal candidate? Someone with a flat tax plan to eliminate loopholes, a health safety net for everyone, reducing the national debt so my kids aren’t working to fund the gov’t at the expense of their children’s futures, and no lobbyists who promise jobs to politicians like Monsanto does. I am also concerned about protecting life. This is a big issue for me but not a popular one. The whole reason political party came up was that it was blamed on Republicans for fracking but in PA that wasn’t the case over the past several years. Yes, my family situation is not one I wish I had. I try to help from here but it’s nearly impossible. I’m sure my mom has a gluten intolerance — she had graves disease and other clear signs but her Medicare doctor refused to run a stool test because he didn’t think the cost was justified. So she won’t listen to me about just giving up breads, etc. She worked for the welfare dept. When I was a teenager and always complained of too much paperwork and one time a woman came in at gunpoint demanding “her money”! It was not a good system. She tutors adults in reading now through her church. I was brought up to go out and make a difference myself. I did mission work all through my teens in the US. I was given nothing to start adulthood with but worked hard at teaching and later advertising to make it here. My husband came from farming with nothing either and we did this ourselves with sacrifice of things some people think they need. So I am very sad when I hear of taxes rising, of people who work very hard, put themselves through school like we both did, and having so much go to the gov’t instead of paying for a better education for my own kids. I know you don’t care about me but my heart goes out to people who are in the same position who are now dealing with their homes being affected by gov’t franking or being told they have to pay into a system that pays for abortions of babies. That’s about the gist of it. From my own experience. Sorry about the typos.
Beth, thank you for your thoughtful and interesting post. It’s nice to “meet” you here. You sound like a lovely person. We actually agree on a lot of things and I just wish we could meet in person for a lively discussion about all these issues. For sure I agree about the fracking! We Dems are fanatics about protecting the earth, water and air from corruption and pollution. I hope this hideous practice can be stopped somehow.
Oh, sorry Melissa, you are a professional Democrat. We can’t even have an intelligent conversation because I don’t vote along one party line but you do, so nothing Obama does will be the wrong decision in your eyes. I’m very sorry I even tried to talk to you. I should have known better.
It’s Melinda, not Melissa.
I did not call you “mindless.” I said your comments were mindless, and your subsequent posts confirm this. For example, When Ryan came out with his budget, it was whole heartedly embraced by Mr. Romney. Try as he might, they can’t walk that back. Likewise, “Obamacare” was based strongly on “Romneycare” in MA, that he now completely disavows. Too bad about those pesky quotes and video to remind us where he really stands. You’re welcome to your own opinions, but not your own “facts.”
I am sorry your relationship with your parents is not better. It must be difficult to listen to them talk about bad outcomes and know they could do better. My parents would not listen to me about vitamins, white bread and taking a walk. Very frustrating. But when there were serious health issues at stake, we ALL got involved and had a voice.
I guess you missed the part where I said how disappointed I was with the President for not sticking with single-payer health care for all. That’s a, you know, CRITICISM of the President. (that unfortunately does not fit with the meme you’ve decided on for me.) But even though I think he could and should have done more, I’m immensely proud of him for getting the bill passed. Is it perfect? Nope. Is it too complicated? Maybe. But legislators tweak laws all the time. It can be made better over time. But it’s a brilliant start!
One thing you can say about us Democrats that’s very different from Republicans – we will talk and keep talking to anyone, no matter how much we think we disagree. We realize we might learn something, and to liberals that’s a value. Unlike those like yourself who believe it’s a waste of time to talk to someone with different views. I find that both sad and bad for America. Oh, and, one thing I WON’T do (unlike Republicans) is call you un-American for having different views from mine.
Ooooh, Beth! Boogeyman alert! Socialized medicine! Ooooohhhh!!!
Do you know anyone on Medicare? Anyone? Ask him/her what they think of America’s “socialized medicine.” Chances are excellent they’ll tell you how happy they are with “government provided and run” health care. I am on Medicare as are many of my friends and we LOOOOOVE it. I CHOSE Kaiser Permanente as my plan and could not be happier with everyone there that I see on both coasts. From the people who answer the phones to the receptionists to the nurses who draw blood with a smile and the doctors who really listen to you, and respect your choices, I’m thrilled with this plan. In fact, I think it’s a shame that President Obama rolled over for the rightwingnuts and took the single payer plan off the table when he was “negotiating” for the Affordable Care Act. We’d ALL be better off if we took the profit motive out of providing health care – and we are, I think, the ONLY developed nation that permits this. So please, take your mindless talking points that have no basis in fact and share them with someone else as uninformed as you are.
ha! Melinda, thanks for the smile… My grandfather from Germany used to preach the wonders of socialized medicine yet he left his country to move here. Go figure. My parents are on Medicare but they don’t have good things to say about it at all. Their doctors do the minimum if that. My stepfather had cancer twice and lives daily with pain, with no help from his Medicare doctor. Honestly I rarely see a doctor and I have a health savings account which we can manage. That has worked better for my family. U take my health and nutrition very seriously and we avoid needing medical care hardly ever. I guess that is not the case for you but I’m glad you found good doctors. You wouldn’t lose Medicare under the Republicans. I just don’t want to be forced into a system I don’t need nor want to invest in. It is my money and my health so it should be my freedom to decide.
One more thing… I totally agree that the cost of healthcare has gotten way out of control. So has the flippant attitudes of most people about taking care of themselves. As for me being mindless and not having facts, I’m not sure where you are getting that from. That was pretty rude. I’m actually starting a second career studying medicine right now and my husband is a political science major so in actuality I’m doing something myself to help people be healthy with my main focus of making it affordable. I couldn’t help you though because bitterness would stand in the way of a healthy mind and therefore a healthy body.
Wow, Beth, talk about RUDE. I disagree with your ideas and out of that you feel free to call me “bitter” and say I must not really care about health and nutrition? I must need doctors a lot? Huh? I care quite a lot about nutrition. I eat a VERY healthy diet and I only see the docs once a year for my (free!) check up. I have more energy than people much younger than I am and I LOOK much younger than I am. You have a lot of nerve making those assertions about someone you don’t know. If YOUR parents are not satisfied with the care they get from Medicare, well sorry, but they have only themselves to blame. There’s an enrollment period every year. It’s easy to switch to a different plan. No one is FORCED to see certain docs – or don’t they know that? Why would anyone stay with care givers they don’t find responsive or effective? Maybe you should take a little time to help them figure this out, especially since you’re “studying medicine right now.” I would never have let my parents stay in a bad program. But that’s just me. Hobbling away from the computer now, with my bitter heart and dim brain. Sigh.
Oh, and, the Paul Ryan budget absolutely WOULD end Medicare. You need to get out more.
Yes you are rude. My parents are in a different state so no, I don’t get involved with their doctors…. they are adults. My stepfather has gone to multiple doctors. You are obviously someone who tells other people what to do so good for you. I don’t have that relationship with my family– they take offense at being treated like children, which they would think you were doing. My stepfather is in Mensa… he’s not stupid. He also spent a good deal of his career representing medical malpractice suits for good reason. If you want to believe that our system works great, then you’re only basing it on your personal experience. And obviously Paul Ryan is running for VP and there is little chance that his agenda is the one Mitt Romney will follow. Even the pundits are all saying that. Romney is moderate and he did what the people in Mass. wanted and he’ll bring that discretion to the nation. I guess we’ll see in the fall what America wants. As it is, Obamacare will hurt people I know. And what is it that you do for a living? I don’t think you’re dim witted, but you said I was mindless. I do think when you call names that you must have some bitterness in you to hate other people so much that you don’t know.
It’s easy to make a bargain that one side is happy with. The patients may love Medicare, but try asking the doctors, and the folks who handle the billing. They regularly refuse Medicare patients to avoid having to deal with the bureaucracy and inevitable back-and-forth. Those of us that pay for Medicare aren’t often all that happy about it either. The numbers just don’t work out in a way that convinces me it will be there if I ever need it, despite the theory that I’ve paid into the system so I can benefit from it later on.
Guido, you’re right! Of my friends who are doctors and nurses, I don’t know any of them that like dealing with gov’t insurance and they definitely are dreading Obamacare changes. Some have considered leaving the practice. That’s just the people I know. When I go to my own doctor or dentist or eye doctor, they love it when I pay with my health savings account visa…. Immediate compensation, less paperwork for them and I choose the best doctors for my family. We pay into it after taxes so we’re careful about how we spend it. I don’t let them run unnecessary tests and when we do, I call labs to make sure we’re getting the best price. I found hospitals are not good at quoting prices because there is no accountability for their lab work. Even associated doctors don’t know the prices of tests they run. That’s because it’s usually charged to the insurance companies who I’ve found are not as frugal as me when it comes to what is “reasonable and customary”. So to put everyone on a system with little accountability and more work for doctors seems like another Social Security System and you and I are not banking on that being there for us in the future.
I’m no expert on Medicare in general. I can only speak from my own experience, but it has been excellent. When I qualified for Medicare I got materials from several plans to join (my choice.) I selected Kaiser Permanente because I had several friends who were very happy with their plan. Now my entire Medicare monthly payment goes to Kaiser automatically. I did not have to find Doctors or labs or any other entity to “accept a medicare patient.” I am enrolled in a program with EXCELLENT doctors and facilities. Other than medicines (which I happily don’t need) every visit and treatment has been FREE after that monthly cost. One friend had skin cancers excised and treated and it was all covered. Their system is so well managed that other hospitals and plans send people to them to learn how they do it. Apparently THEY have figured out how to track every cost and keep them “reasonable and customary.” Maybe they can do this because they don’t have to pay a CEO hundreds of millions of dollars, as other insurance companies do? Those indefensible salaries are just ONE reason why health care delivery is vastly more important in the US than it is anywhere else, and why we have worse outcomes than many developed countries (despite propaganda from the right that insists we have “the best health care in the world!” Well, yeah, if you’re RICH! Everyone else? Good luck to you.)
Anyway, if you’re worried about Medicare and SS being available to you down the road after all your payments, you should for SURE vote for Obama, because Romney/Ryan are determined to finally succeed at a mission the right has had for 80 years now – to take these important programs away from us. Don’t let anyone tell you Romney’s plan is any different from Ryan’s. He FULLY embraced it when it came out earlier this year. Under that plan you’d get a voucher for $6,000 a year for health care. Anything over that and you’re on your own. Think that covers much? Ha.
Do you know that in each state or city if there is a choice of plans with Medicare? I don’t remember Kaiser Permanente being around here but I don’t really know since I don’t qualify for Medicare. For a family of four we don’t spend more than $6,000.00 a year in medical expenses. We are also pretty healthy and don’t run to the doctor for every bout of flu or colds we might get, as some people do. You do know that all that money will come out of my pocket to pay for it. I think this is why people get upset about programs because you are stating it like it’s “free” and it’s not. No program is self-funding. It all comes from taxes that we pay. Now we pay for our insurance anyways so we’ll pay with either plan but let’s not pretend that it doesn’t cost us something because it costs a lot to people who are working. That’s why they can get rid of Social Security. I hope they do. It’s just a tax.