Fracking And Sand Mines Deserve Our Scorn And Derision

The Lord surely must take a dim view of those who abuse the planet all in the name of profit.  It is easy to quote the Bible, but as we all know it is more important to know how to live by the advice it contains.

I wonder if those in the fracking industry ever consider such a perspective of how to conduct themselves.

That thought was on my mind today after reading a letter to the editor in the Wisconsin State Journal. More and more news stories abound about both fracking, and the sand mines that are interrelated to the process of extracting  underground natural gas and oil supplies.

There are many dreadful aspects to frac sand, as news stories have made quite clear.  Frac sand isn’t ordinary sand. In fact, t he fine silica dust from the mines and plants make people sick, spoil the landscape, and contaminate ground water.

Some liken the mining of sand to another ‘Gold Rush”.  There is reason for giddy talk from those who rape the planet.  U.S. frac sand producers sold or used more than 6.5 million metric tons of sand worth $319 million in 2009, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Maybe for a side business–just to make more money–the fracking industry can also lobby for balloons to be released at weddings so to kill more innocent wildlife.  Who cares that balloon fragments when ingested by wildlife and sea animals before they biodegrade completely away can create conditions so the animal will starve to death, or that birds can die due to latex blocking their natural passageway in the gut. 

The fracking industry is only concerned about one thing, and that is the mighty dollar bill!

Amen.

With that in mind comes the sobering words of Glory Adams from Eau Claire.

I wonder if taking a family drive on Sunday has become a thing of the past. Perhaps it needs to be resurrected soon.

Western Wisconsin and eastern Minnesota are truly blessed with beautiful scenery. In fact, Highway 35 has been recognized as one of the most beautiful drives in the country.

In all of western Wisconsin you will find scenic rolling hills with wooded knolls. Do take advantage of this exceptional vista soon, before any more hills disappear. Each sand mine levels those rolling hills.

The first bluff in Minnesota is now going down. Soon this side of the Mississippi will lose bluffs, too. The promise of jobs is not living up to what citizens were led to believe.

Wisconsin is leaving by the truckload and railroad car load. Highways bear the abuse of many heavy vehicles. The air is affected. Berms break sending sand and chemicals into our waterways. Communities are not re-reimbursed to cover the expenses incurred.

Yes, the companies will make a lot of money, but most of it will leave Wisconsin along with the sand. Once the sand reaches it’s destination, it will become a weapon in fracking, devastating homes and lands.

So, take that Sunday drive. Enjoy our beautiful state. It is disappearing before our very eyes.