Colorado Trades Food for Earthquakes

In an article reported at Think Progress they note that the natural gas companies outbid farmers for the use of Colorado’s scarce water supply.

Frackers Outbid Farmers – when you think about it in the big picture – that is so sick.  There is something terribly wrong with the following snips:

At Colorado’s premier auction for unallocated water this spring, companies that provide water for hydraulic fracturing at well sites were top bidders on supplies once claimed exclusively by farmers. [...]

Farmers who go to the auctions seeking to produce food — or maybe plant more acres — are on equal footing with companies seeking water for fracking, Northern Water spokesman Brian Werner said.

“If you have a beneficial use for the water, then you can bid for that water,” Werner said. “We see the beneficial use of the water as a positive for the economy of the whole region. Fracking is one of those uses. Our uses of water have evolved over 150 years.”

Yep – the ALEC free market philosophy at its best – he who holds the gold (and the government) gets the resources.

The full story (linked in the Think Progress article) is here with this snip I found telling:

Energy industry players "carry a big stick" at auctions and likely have the money to prevail in a free-market competition for scarce water, Midcap said.

The good ol’ ALEC “free market” at work – taking food from the mouths of Coloradans and the nation. 

When are people going to realize that as long as ALEC exists – helping their corporate profit sector members – a “free market” can NOT exist.

Water to grow food – NOT

Water to frack – YES
Water to cause earthquakes in Colorado – YES

The final statement I just made is supported by another Think Progress report that was posted just a couple of days ago that included these snips.

In November, a British shale gas developer found it was “highly probable” its fracturing operations caused minor quakes.

Then last month, Ohio oil and gas regulators said “A dozen earthquakes in northeastern Ohio were almost certainly induced by injection of gas-drilling wastewater into the earth.”

But then – ALEC would probably call this “junk science” – the phrase they use for any type of research that doesn’t promote the businesses of the ALEC corporate profit members.

And by the way – ALEC supports fracking – but they use the phrase “fracturing”.  ALEC has a resolution for that.

And in the Feb 2010 ALEC magazine InsideALEC – here is how they describe that resolution

Resolution to Retain State Authority Over Hydraulic Fracturing

Hydraulic fracturing is a proven technology with a record of environmentally safe use in oil and gas wells. Federal regulation of hydraulic fracturing under the purview of the Safe Drinking Water Act would add unnecessary regulations and cost to producing domestic natural gas resources. State regulatory agencies are the appropriate governing bodies to provide oversight for hydraulic fracturing due to the unique geological and geographical circumstances of each state.

Fracturing – that is what ALEC is doing to our nation.

And why wouldn’t they – with their corporate profit sector members helping to write ALEC “model legislation”.

This is what happens when the states have control – which is the ALEC goal - state sovereignty!

This is what happens when you pit farmers against corporate interests.

If ALEC corporate profit sector members get their way -  pretty soon you’ll see is Rocky Mountain National Park – being turned over to the state of Colorado – (ALEC has a resolution for that also) – so the State ALEC legislators can let ALEC profit sector members drill and frack and harvest timber in Estes Park and that has been their focus for over 20 years.

You’d think there were be the option for compromise somewhere in the whole big mess – but I guess when you are dealing with the “free-market” philosophy of ALEC  – that’s not an option.

Free market philosophy - hmmmmmmmmmmmm
As Thom Hartmann has said many times - show me one civilization that has implemented a proven free market based society - just one.