FW CanDo!

Heroes, Villains, Misplaced Priorities, Irony and Dubious Distinctions in the Wacky World of Natural Gas Drilling:
A 2008 Capsule Review

1) In many ways, 2008 was the Year of Irony. One of those moments occurred in early January when the Star-Telegram posted, 8 Simple Rules for a Healthier 2008. Two of them contrasted sharply- “Item #3: Learn yoga breathing. Item #5: Move away from the Metroplex.” That last suggestion, by Arlington Mayor Robert Cluck, in reference to our dirty air, must have had the chamber of commerce shills gagging on their kool-aid.

http://www.star-telegram.com/408/story/387517.html read more of this posting »

See below, the continuing tale of corruption in the Barnett Shale as told by Peggy Heinkel-Wolfe and Lowell Brown of the Denton Record Chronicle. Among other things, you will learn how gas drilling caused one woman's Chevy Suburban to turn into a boat. Buckle your seatbelt for this strange but true story.

>>> I strongly urge you to respond to the Comments section at the end of the article (online). It is being hijacked by a bunch of dimwitted gas drilling workers.

http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/dws/drc/localnews/stories/DRC_Behi...

Part 2 of a new report from the Denton Record Chronicle. Go online to leave comments. So far, most of the comments are coming from natural gas workers with conflicts of interest.

http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/dws/drc/localnews/stories/DRC_Behi...

Starting Sunday, December 28, 2008, in the Denton Record Chronicle:

"Editor's Note: Behind the Shale, is a five-part series exploring urban gas drilling and one Argyle-area neighborhood's struggle against it."

Denton is a mid-sized university town just north of Fort Worth. (Argyle is a nearby small town.) Gas drilling started in the Denton area about two years before Fort Worth. The DRC has been has been at the forefront in reporting on the many dangers associated with natural gas drilling. They were the first to report on the presence of NORM in drilling wastes. The next four parts of this series should equally as educational.

http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/dws/drc/localnews/stories/drc_shal...

Illustration by Alex Tipton. read more of this posting »

Yesterday, I saw a giant Chesapeake Energy ad on the side of a Fort Worth city bus that read:

"Thanks Barnett Shale for Clean Air."

It seems the bar has been lowered on what defines "truth in advertising". The days of ads like, "Winston tastes good like a cigarette should", are quaint by comparison. Also, people are either more stupid, more apathetic or just don't give a damn.

We live in meaner, harder times. The Energy Wars are heating up and they are taking place in our backyards, our national parks, coastlines and city halls. The Water Wars are right around the corner. But will the water be drinkable? Depends on who you ask. read more of this posting »

Fort Worth, Texas has never been known as a hot-bed of activism, but when the City of Fort Worth foolishly approved a High Impact drilling permit near Scott Avenue it was expected that area homeowners would be up in arms - that civil disobedience would take root - that the "tipping point" had been reached - that things might get ugly. Scott is a narrow street in an historic neighborhood next to a cherished and endangered prairie park. This gas well pad-site would also lead to the first UN-odorized gas pipeline in a neighborhood. Public health, safety and property values were at stake. Citizen outrage was a foregone conclusion.

Didn't happen. Why not? read more of this posting »

~ CALL FOR ENTRIES ~

FWCanDo makes an open call to all artists to submit entries in all media to the 2nd annual Buzzworms in the Backyard, an exhibition of art against ALL irresponsible gas drilling. Artists may enter up to three works at a fee of $10.00 per entry, or three for $25.00. Art will be juried from the actual work (no slides or cd’s) with $500.00 in prizes to be awarded.

Exhibition Dates and Location: January 9-30, 2009, Fort Worth Community Art Center read more of this posting »

The City of Fort Worth has been recognized for efforts to reduce air pollution.

http://www.fortworthgov.org/generic/default.aspx?id=60770&blogid=2704

The group that handed out this award is sponsored by ... Chesapeake Energy and Devon Energy. (see link for details)

New research* on the impacts of oil and gas drilling in the Barnett Shale proves that:

--Toxic emissions of, NOx (Nitrogen oxide) and VOC's (hydrocarbons), directly attributable to gas drilling, are equal to ALL the motorized vehicles in the 9 county Metroplex, including Dallas.

--Barnett Shale drilling produces 262 tons per day of these pollutants.

--This does NOT include "fugitive emissions" which would at least EQUAL the NOx and VOC's. read more of this posting »

The men and women who run Chesapeake Energy have a lot in common with the infamous, Leona Helmsley. The billionaire-ess was known as the Queen of Mean for her tyrannical behavior. Sound familiar?

She famously said that, "Only the little people pay taxes." The only difference between Chesapeake and Leona is that Leona got caught and went to federal prison. Aubrey is still on the run.

Think about this next time you see the American flag flying over a Chesapeake gas rig and when you send a big, fat check to the IRS.

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/Extra/CompaniesWithTheFat...

It wasn't enough to have bought-off elected officials and institutions eating out of their hands.

It wasn't enough to cover billboards, buses, newspaper pages and airwaves with their propaganda.

It wasn't enough to buy and pillage our most sacred land for their dirty deeds.

With Chesapeake Energy, too much is never enough. (apologies to Mae West)

In their latest display of arrogance, to sear their filthy brand on Dirty Ol' Town (aka: Fort Worth, Texas), Chesapeake Energy has arranged to rename a public street. (see photos below) Formerly known as Pier 1 Place, the street has been re-branded as, Energy Way.

How quaint.

What strings does one have to pull at City Hall to get a street renamed, anyway?

Hmmm. Not a bad idea. read more of this posting »