1 of 400: Redemption, Kansas by James Reasoner, 2011, 9780425240106.
I've read six or so other Reasoner novels. Only 393 more to go.
This has a great three page Prologue introducing is to a corrupt and deadly Sheriff and his Deputy. A baker in Redemption, KS refuses to pay protection extortion to the Deputy and goes to complain to the Sheriff. Sheriff, Deputy and Baker walk back to the bakery and the sheriff draws and blasts the baker in the back.
Bill Harvey is night riding the herd close to Redemption, KS. His Texas based crew is almost to Dodge City after a long trip from South Texas. Harvey is slowly riding along when he sees a long haired rustler beside the herd. The rustler fires a shot setting the cattle into stampede. Harvey gets to the lead bulls, turns the herd, but his leg is badly injured when a bull charges his horse.
Harvey's crew take him into nearby Redemption. The town refuse has refused entry to Texans ever since a group of angry cowboys rampaged through town. The town has no doctor anyway and the Sheriff is about to evict the angry Harvey when pretty and young Eden says she'll take Harvey in.
Eden's mercantile owning father is a grouch. Eden is very pretty. Harvey is laid up. The Deputy is dastardly. Harvey starts to learn about town and how their have been mysterious killings as Sheriff and Deputy kill off the resisters to bleed the rest of the town.
Harvey is the only one to step-up against the bad guys. Things happen. Guns are shot. Horses run. Wagons crash. Rustlers come to town.
Comments:
1. It's a Reasoner novel so you know it's worth your time.
2. I don't like the lovey-dovey parts.
Thursday, June 18, 2015
Just Heard: "All the Old Knives" by Olen Steinhauer
Just Heard: All the Old Knives by Olen Steinhauer, 2015, overdrive.com download.
Dang. This is a 2015 book? Look at me, checking out the new stuff. I'm hip. This was shorter at 5.5 hours. The print edition is 294 pages. Word count? I don't know, stick your word count, I'm no writer.
Short version: Two ex-lovers and spies meet for dinner and talk about whether someone from the CIA leaked information to a terrorist cell in the middle of an airliner hijacking.
Long version: Henry and Celia worked for the CIA out of the Austrian embassy nine years ago. Henry fell hard for Celia. She started loving him. An airliner is hijacked, lands in Vienna, and parks in the middle of the tarmac. The embassy's CIA staff work to help out by trying to identify the hijackers and their backgrounds. The CIA team gets a text message from a CIA courier on the plane with his family. The few texts give important info and then turn "weird".
It seems like the courier may be compromised. Sure enough the plane door opens, the courier is shot dead, the body falls to the pavement below. How did the hijackers know who he was? When the police storm the plane they find everyone dead; the terrorists ran poison gas through the air circulation system.
All of the above is told with some flashback and recorded statements. In present day Henry is tasked with investigating rumors that a CIA officer leaked the courier's identity directly to the terrorists.
Comments:
1. The review in the New York Times remarks how Steinhauer's previous characters were hopping across Europe. Here they stay in Austria and California. Steinhauer was aiming to cut down on the frenzy. Yeah, it's not as frantic as previous books.
2. I find that I take to heart the political comments of spies, soldiers, and politicians. I want the characters that I like to feel the same way I do about government decisions and politicians. I get annoyed when they do not. This is mainly because I make a foolish presumption that author has some inside knowledge. That the author bases a characters feelings and experiences and plenty of
Dang. This is a 2015 book? Look at me, checking out the new stuff. I'm hip. This was shorter at 5.5 hours. The print edition is 294 pages. Word count? I don't know, stick your word count, I'm no writer.
Short version: Two ex-lovers and spies meet for dinner and talk about whether someone from the CIA leaked information to a terrorist cell in the middle of an airliner hijacking.
Long version: Henry and Celia worked for the CIA out of the Austrian embassy nine years ago. Henry fell hard for Celia. She started loving him. An airliner is hijacked, lands in Vienna, and parks in the middle of the tarmac. The embassy's CIA staff work to help out by trying to identify the hijackers and their backgrounds. The CIA team gets a text message from a CIA courier on the plane with his family. The few texts give important info and then turn "weird".
It seems like the courier may be compromised. Sure enough the plane door opens, the courier is shot dead, the body falls to the pavement below. How did the hijackers know who he was? When the police storm the plane they find everyone dead; the terrorists ran poison gas through the air circulation system.
All of the above is told with some flashback and recorded statements. In present day Henry is tasked with investigating rumors that a CIA officer leaked the courier's identity directly to the terrorists.
Comments:
1. The review in the New York Times remarks how Steinhauer's previous characters were hopping across Europe. Here they stay in Austria and California. Steinhauer was aiming to cut down on the frenzy. Yeah, it's not as frantic as previous books.
2. I find that I take to heart the political comments of spies, soldiers, and politicians. I want the characters that I like to feel the same way I do about government decisions and politicians. I get annoyed when they do not. This is mainly because I make a foolish presumption that author has some inside knowledge. That the author bases a characters feelings and experiences and plenty of
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Done Reading: "The Troop" by Nick Cutter.
Done Reading: The Troop by Nick Cutter (Craig Davidson), 2014, 9781476717715.
I read a Davidson novel - cannot recall which - and saw he wrote a couple horror novels under the Cutter name. This one was good. 358 pages long, but still good.
Five Scouts and their Scout Leader are on a small island off Prince Edward Island for a multi-night campout. They're staying in a cabin and will hike during the day. A ravenous man comes ashore at night. The man looks like a skin covered skeleton. Scout Leader is a physician and tries to help the guy. The guy is infected with a laboratory produced worm that travels and lays eggs throughout his body and eats him from the inside out. Bad, disgusting and scary things start to happen.
There are plenty of gross parts as the worms kill the host, infects the Scoutmaster, and goes from boy to boy. Meanwhile, Cutter fills in the story about the worm and it's laboratory creation with news articles, investigative reports and transcripts. The island is quarantined by the Canadian military and the boys have no contact. They despair at being abandoned by their families and other adults when their pick-up boat never arrives.
The five boys are a mix of jock, picked-on-nerd, anger issues, sociopath, and average kid. Sure, he's giving us some stock characters, but I think Davidson writes extremely well about adolescent boys and how and why they do what they do. I disagree with a review on the Kirkus website that says the boys all sound alike. They are similar in their fear, and of course they share common characteristics, but I disagree with the boys having lack of characterization. Complaints about the dialogue? Meh, I don't recall.
Comments:
1. My only complaint is that the I prefer a shorter book.
2. I started wondering again about taking a vacation to Canada. I was checking routes on Google maps and wondering about driving to Quebec, or even PEI, and gas costs, and ease of camping. My wife would never camp though.
3. That Kirkus review complains that the book stays within it's horror confines and does not push boundaries. Well, shit. When a book does push boundaries the author is just a likely to get crapped on. Besides, why not stay within those confines? Isn't that the point? You're writing a horror/romance/mystery/thriller novel so you stay with the format. Forget it, Gerard. It's Kirkus.
4. A Quebec drive could take the speedy Lake Michigan ferry from Milwaukee. But, that thing runs $91 for a one-way car trip. It leaves Milwaukee at 6AM and arrives in Muskegon at 9:30AM. Travel time is the same for the Chicago path- barring city traffic. I suppose nixing those three behind-the-wheel hours would be worth the cost.
5. But, how much time is spent loading and offloading the ferry? That could increase total travel time by 30-45 minutes on both sides.
6. Shit. I just saw this:Please note, vehicle prices do not include the driver or any additional passengers. One-way fair for my family and a car would be $324. Heck, Driving would be 223 miles more via Chicago - no Wilco jokes - and the old Honda van gets 25 MPG Hwy. So, at an extra 9 gallons for those miles at a rounded up price of $2.75 a gallon it'd cost $24.75 to go that way.
I read a Davidson novel - cannot recall which - and saw he wrote a couple horror novels under the Cutter name. This one was good. 358 pages long, but still good.
Five Scouts and their Scout Leader are on a small island off Prince Edward Island for a multi-night campout. They're staying in a cabin and will hike during the day. A ravenous man comes ashore at night. The man looks like a skin covered skeleton. Scout Leader is a physician and tries to help the guy. The guy is infected with a laboratory produced worm that travels and lays eggs throughout his body and eats him from the inside out. Bad, disgusting and scary things start to happen.
There are plenty of gross parts as the worms kill the host, infects the Scoutmaster, and goes from boy to boy. Meanwhile, Cutter fills in the story about the worm and it's laboratory creation with news articles, investigative reports and transcripts. The island is quarantined by the Canadian military and the boys have no contact. They despair at being abandoned by their families and other adults when their pick-up boat never arrives.
The five boys are a mix of jock, picked-on-nerd, anger issues, sociopath, and average kid. Sure, he's giving us some stock characters, but I think Davidson writes extremely well about adolescent boys and how and why they do what they do. I disagree with a review on the Kirkus website that says the boys all sound alike. They are similar in their fear, and of course they share common characteristics, but I disagree with the boys having lack of characterization. Complaints about the dialogue? Meh, I don't recall.
Comments:
1. My only complaint is that the I prefer a shorter book.
2. I started wondering again about taking a vacation to Canada. I was checking routes on Google maps and wondering about driving to Quebec, or even PEI, and gas costs, and ease of camping. My wife would never camp though.
3. That Kirkus review complains that the book stays within it's horror confines and does not push boundaries. Well, shit. When a book does push boundaries the author is just a likely to get crapped on. Besides, why not stay within those confines? Isn't that the point? You're writing a horror/romance/mystery/thriller novel so you stay with the format. Forget it, Gerard. It's Kirkus.
4. A Quebec drive could take the speedy Lake Michigan ferry from Milwaukee. But, that thing runs $91 for a one-way car trip. It leaves Milwaukee at 6AM and arrives in Muskegon at 9:30AM. Travel time is the same for the Chicago path- barring city traffic. I suppose nixing those three behind-the-wheel hours would be worth the cost.
5. But, how much time is spent loading and offloading the ferry? That could increase total travel time by 30-45 minutes on both sides.
6. Shit. I just saw this:Please note, vehicle prices do not include the driver or any additional passengers. One-way fair for my family and a car would be $324. Heck, Driving would be 223 miles more via Chicago - no Wilco jokes - and the old Honda van gets 25 MPG Hwy. So, at an extra 9 gallons for those miles at a rounded up price of $2.75 a gallon it'd cost $24.75 to go that way.
Listened To: "A Necesary End" by Peter Robinson
Listened To: A Necessary End by Peter Robinson, 1989, Overdrive.com download.
Third novel in the Inspector Banks series. Thatcher is still in charge and the novel is very political. Very lefty. Banks sympathizes with the anti-nuke crowd and pro-civil liberties crowds. When an anti-nuke demonstration turns violent a policeman is stabbed, brought to hospital, and dies.
Banks was near the demonstration when helping some Home Office officers protect a visiting Thatcherite MP. The murder of a policeman brings plenty of scrutiny and a London based police detective is sent to Eastvale rather than trust the case to rural bumpkins.
The London cop sent to investigate is Richard "Dirty Dick" Burgess. Banks briefly worked with Burgess when Banks was posted to London. Burgess is an asshole. He is the face of 1980s British fascist police. A purposefully rude lecher. An over-drinker. Burgess excuses his intentional cruelty and power tripping by saying it's an investigative technique to rile up the interviewee and make something slip. He's disrespectful to all women. He decides on suspects before investigating. He sees a Red under every bed. Ray Davies wrote a song about him.
Banks is still enjoying living in rural Eastvale, North Yorkshire and neither approves of Burgess or his method. Well, that's too damn bad, Banks, because Burgess is now in charge. They start investigating by talking to everyone they can find. Burgess is an asshole. They focus on the protest's organizers.The head out to a local farm that's sort of a casual commune, but with rent. They identify a 20-year-old with a record. A local shepherd finds the murder weapon. Burgess keeps chasing a married barmaid and her jealous and muscular husband. The weapon has prints from the 20-year-old. He's arrested but things are not as clear as it seems.
Things happen. Banks's family went South to visit his wife's ailing father. Banks is lonely and drinks at night. Banks is suppressing his desire for local psychologist Jenny Fuller. When Fuller's new boyfriend is questioned by Burgess things get uncomfortable.
Banks is not supposed to investigate the murdered policeman and he does anyway. The Officer volunteered for crowd duty at any protest and enjoyed beating people. A citizen complaint leads Banks to solve the crime.
Comment:
1. I really like the narrator, James Langton. His accents are neat to hear. A couple characters speak with an unusual Yorkshire accent where the drop the "t". Langton also narrated Lloyd Alexander's Prydain Chronicles and the Moonstone.
2. Ray Davies is a genius.
3. There was an Eau Claire reference.
4. Plenty of beer talk. Banks and Burgess hit the local bars.
5. Burgess enjoys insulting Banks by saying Banks was involuntarily sent to Yorkshire.
6. I presume Robinson creates marital strife in later novels. Banks is irresistibly attracted to Fuller, and she to him.
Third novel in the Inspector Banks series. Thatcher is still in charge and the novel is very political. Very lefty. Banks sympathizes with the anti-nuke crowd and pro-civil liberties crowds. When an anti-nuke demonstration turns violent a policeman is stabbed, brought to hospital, and dies.
Banks was near the demonstration when helping some Home Office officers protect a visiting Thatcherite MP. The murder of a policeman brings plenty of scrutiny and a London based police detective is sent to Eastvale rather than trust the case to rural bumpkins.
The London cop sent to investigate is Richard "Dirty Dick" Burgess. Banks briefly worked with Burgess when Banks was posted to London. Burgess is an asshole. He is the face of 1980s British fascist police. A purposefully rude lecher. An over-drinker. Burgess excuses his intentional cruelty and power tripping by saying it's an investigative technique to rile up the interviewee and make something slip. He's disrespectful to all women. He decides on suspects before investigating. He sees a Red under every bed. Ray Davies wrote a song about him.
Banks is still enjoying living in rural Eastvale, North Yorkshire and neither approves of Burgess or his method. Well, that's too damn bad, Banks, because Burgess is now in charge. They start investigating by talking to everyone they can find. Burgess is an asshole. They focus on the protest's organizers.The head out to a local farm that's sort of a casual commune, but with rent. They identify a 20-year-old with a record. A local shepherd finds the murder weapon. Burgess keeps chasing a married barmaid and her jealous and muscular husband. The weapon has prints from the 20-year-old. He's arrested but things are not as clear as it seems.
Things happen. Banks's family went South to visit his wife's ailing father. Banks is lonely and drinks at night. Banks is suppressing his desire for local psychologist Jenny Fuller. When Fuller's new boyfriend is questioned by Burgess things get uncomfortable.
Banks is not supposed to investigate the murdered policeman and he does anyway. The Officer volunteered for crowd duty at any protest and enjoyed beating people. A citizen complaint leads Banks to solve the crime.
Comment:
1. I really like the narrator, James Langton. His accents are neat to hear. A couple characters speak with an unusual Yorkshire accent where the drop the "t". Langton also narrated Lloyd Alexander's Prydain Chronicles and the Moonstone.
2. Ray Davies is a genius.
3. There was an Eau Claire reference.
4. Plenty of beer talk. Banks and Burgess hit the local bars.
5. Burgess enjoys insulting Banks by saying Banks was involuntarily sent to Yorkshire.
6. I presume Robinson creates marital strife in later novels. Banks is irresistibly attracted to Fuller, and she to him.
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Heard: "Redeployment" by Phil Klay
Heard: Redployment by Phil Klay, 2014, Overdrive.com download.
I'd read good things about this story collection. Then the book won...what did it win? Pulitzer? National Book Award? Something big. But, anyway, I was listening along and thinking, "Nothing new here. The usual post-war lives of soldiers and Marines." Then I got to Prayer in the Furnace.
Prayer is told by a Navy Chaplain who served in Iraq. He worked on a Marine Corps base and the Marine infantry was reluctant to speak to him. Going to see a psychologist about Combat Stress was a career and status killer. Men could speak to a Chaplain and avoid those perceptions but many would still resist. Chaplain collected the "To Any Marine" care packages in his office. Men could go in, get some candy, and use the excuse to talk.
Chaplain starts hearing the worries of several Marines from the same platoon. The platoon commander is an ass and unwilling to change his tactics and methods. Men are sent out to needlessly draw fire. There are hints that war crimes may be happening. Chaplain goes up the chain of command with several concerns and nothing changes. All Chaplain can do is console. He feels ineffective and during a tough sermon tells his congregation he quotes Wilfred Owen and says, "We are a part of a long tradition of suffering. We can let is isolate us if we want, but we must realize that isolation is a lie."
Prayer is outside the usual war and post-war fiction I've read before. I've read stories by civilians who are on the outside looking but Chaplain is straddles the line. He is both inside and outside. He's a Navy Officer but his rank has little power. He's on base and working an important job but his influence only lasts as long as his advice is accepted. The Chaplain's advice cannot keep Marines alive or guide them when to shoot. "'You're a priest', he'd said,'what can you do?'"
War Stories has two veterans, one of them terribly burned, meeting with two women. War Stories touches on things addressed in this collections other stories and also in What They Cannot Say. Why do you tell stories?
1. Not everyone has PTSD.
2. Most everyone has some bad memories.
3.Going into a country and forcing change doesn't work, no matter how much money you spend. Odd how politics in the U.S. says government cannot create jobs, but the exact opposite policy was followed overseas.
4.Civilians always get it in the neck.
5. Did you hear about those new corduroy pillows? They're making headlines.
I'd read good things about this story collection. Then the book won...what did it win? Pulitzer? National Book Award? Something big. But, anyway, I was listening along and thinking, "Nothing new here. The usual post-war lives of soldiers and Marines." Then I got to Prayer in the Furnace.
Prayer is told by a Navy Chaplain who served in Iraq. He worked on a Marine Corps base and the Marine infantry was reluctant to speak to him. Going to see a psychologist about Combat Stress was a career and status killer. Men could speak to a Chaplain and avoid those perceptions but many would still resist. Chaplain collected the "To Any Marine" care packages in his office. Men could go in, get some candy, and use the excuse to talk.
Chaplain starts hearing the worries of several Marines from the same platoon. The platoon commander is an ass and unwilling to change his tactics and methods. Men are sent out to needlessly draw fire. There are hints that war crimes may be happening. Chaplain goes up the chain of command with several concerns and nothing changes. All Chaplain can do is console. He feels ineffective and during a tough sermon tells his congregation he quotes Wilfred Owen and says, "We are a part of a long tradition of suffering. We can let is isolate us if we want, but we must realize that isolation is a lie."
Prayer is outside the usual war and post-war fiction I've read before. I've read stories by civilians who are on the outside looking but Chaplain is straddles the line. He is both inside and outside. He's a Navy Officer but his rank has little power. He's on base and working an important job but his influence only lasts as long as his advice is accepted. The Chaplain's advice cannot keep Marines alive or guide them when to shoot. "'You're a priest', he'd said,'what can you do?'"
War Stories has two veterans, one of them terribly burned, meeting with two women. War Stories touches on things addressed in this collections other stories and also in What They Cannot Say. Why do you tell stories?
- What stories do you tell and when? Are you looking to get laid, cut down an anti-war person, look tough to other guys, cadge free drinks?
- How are stories told? With humor or sorrow?
- What reaction do you want from the listener? Do you care what they think? Will all reactions make you angry?
- Which story is appropriate? Look sad as you tell a story about dead babies and you may be a hit with women.
- What stories don't you tell? Which ones are too painful? Too confusing?
1. Not everyone has PTSD.
2. Most everyone has some bad memories.
3.Going into a country and forcing change doesn't work, no matter how much money you spend. Odd how politics in the U.S. says government cannot create jobs, but the exact opposite policy was followed overseas.
4.Civilians always get it in the neck.
5. Did you hear about those new corduroy pillows? They're making headlines.
Monday, May 18, 2015
Read: "Flora and Ulysses" by Kate DiCamillo
Read: Flora and Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo, 2013, 9780763660406.
During the winter my wife was reading this to Boy #2 who said he did not like the story. She kept reading it and he pretended not to listen but would laugh along. I saw that DiCamillo is the poster girl for the summer reading program and figured I'd read the book.
Short version: squirrel vacuumed, squirrel has near-death-experience, squirrel now smart with super powers, lonely girl takes in squirrel, things happen.
Long version: Flora's neighbor gets a new super vacuum as a present. The vacuum goes nuts, zooms out the door, vacuums up a squirrel outside. Flora sees this from her upstairs window and rushes outside. The squirrel has half his hair sucked or abraded off and is unconscious. Flora provides squirrel CPR.
Turns out the squirrel is now smart, understands human speech, has super strength and can fly. Flora names him Ulysses. Ulysses communicates by typing. Ulysses is hungry. Ulysses is a squirrel so he is always hungry.
Flora is a bit lonely since her parents divorced and has devoted herself to cynicism. Her father is a sad man and her mother spends her day writing romance novels for work. Flora focuses her attention on The Illuminated Adventures of the Amazing Mr Incandesto comic books and nonfic like Terrible Things Can Happen To You! Flora figures Ulysses is like the Amazing Incandesto and will fight injustice. Flora reacts to events by trying to follow the advice of Terrible Things and another comic, The Criminal Element is Among Us.
Things happen. Flora's neighbor has a nephew, William Spiver, staying with her. Flora has weird flip-flops in her stomach when thinking of William Spiver. Flora's mother thinks Ulysses is a diseased rodent and wants to get rid of him. Flora's father is odd and seems depressed. Flora, her father and Ulysses go to a donut shop and a waitress freaks out about the squirrel.
Anyway. Plenty of laughs and no bubble gum ending. Things turn out okay with the conflict resolved but DiCamillo doesn't have Flora's parents reuniting and going on unicorn rides. She deals with Flora's and William's family troubles without didactic nonsense. DiCamillo also includes plenty of squirrel poetry and Rilke poetry.
During the winter my wife was reading this to Boy #2 who said he did not like the story. She kept reading it and he pretended not to listen but would laugh along. I saw that DiCamillo is the poster girl for the summer reading program and figured I'd read the book.
Short version: squirrel vacuumed, squirrel has near-death-experience, squirrel now smart with super powers, lonely girl takes in squirrel, things happen.
Long version: Flora's neighbor gets a new super vacuum as a present. The vacuum goes nuts, zooms out the door, vacuums up a squirrel outside. Flora sees this from her upstairs window and rushes outside. The squirrel has half his hair sucked or abraded off and is unconscious. Flora provides squirrel CPR.
Turns out the squirrel is now smart, understands human speech, has super strength and can fly. Flora names him Ulysses. Ulysses communicates by typing. Ulysses is hungry. Ulysses is a squirrel so he is always hungry.
Flora is a bit lonely since her parents divorced and has devoted herself to cynicism. Her father is a sad man and her mother spends her day writing romance novels for work. Flora focuses her attention on The Illuminated Adventures of the Amazing Mr Incandesto comic books and nonfic like Terrible Things Can Happen To You! Flora figures Ulysses is like the Amazing Incandesto and will fight injustice. Flora reacts to events by trying to follow the advice of Terrible Things and another comic, The Criminal Element is Among Us.
Things happen. Flora's neighbor has a nephew, William Spiver, staying with her. Flora has weird flip-flops in her stomach when thinking of William Spiver. Flora's mother thinks Ulysses is a diseased rodent and wants to get rid of him. Flora's father is odd and seems depressed. Flora, her father and Ulysses go to a donut shop and a waitress freaks out about the squirrel.
Anyway. Plenty of laughs and no bubble gum ending. Things turn out okay with the conflict resolved but DiCamillo doesn't have Flora's parents reuniting and going on unicorn rides. She deals with Flora's and William's family troubles without didactic nonsense. DiCamillo also includes plenty of squirrel poetry and Rilke poetry.
Done: "Hydrofracking" by Alex Prud'homme
Done: Hydrofracking: what everyone needs to know by Alex Prud'Homme, 2014, 9780199311255.
Part of the What Everyone Needs to Know Series by Oxford Uni. Press. A good book. Sections include what, how and where to explain the process and two sections covering the case for and against the process.
Prud'Homme is as thorough as his name is difficult to type. His work is balanced as well, he's not grinding an ax. Prud'Homme has an extensive bib at the end and has notes throughout. I tell ya, it's nice to see notes and references that are not all bullshit political references.
I'm kinda split on the fracking process myself. I have a 1st cousin who started an oil services company for the pumps used in fracking. He's been quite successful and the company works in oil fields around the country. There has been a lot of job growth and plenty of money for a lot of communities.
The downsides to fracking are in the news all the time: earthquakes, massive water use, polluted water after the process, ground water contamination, etc. Some of those - earthquakes and ground water contamination - need to be scientifically proven but sure look clear.
A major issue with any major industry is: Who writes the rules? Oil industry concerns lobby a lot of more effectively than small cities and towns spread across the continent. The chemicals used in fracking fluid are trade secrets - hey, it is a very competitive industry and I can understand some secrecy. But, if the used water is not treated and cleaned where does it go? Used water can be pumped way below the level of aquifers but not everyone does that, and is that causing tremors?
It's a fast changing industry that seems to follow the usual cycle where 1) a new opportunity comes up, 2) people rush in and many companies cut corners for money and time, 3) citizens react to abuses, 4) government and the courts get involved, 5) hopefully things settle down with realistic rules and regulations.
Those rules and regulations can rapidly change, too. The industry is overseen by both federal and state laws. A change in government administration can rapidly change things for the better or worse. Or, you get a guy like this jerk who tries to have people fired for doing research.
Comment:
1. The earthquake issue. I've no time to check but the geological studies look to be conclusive that fracking is to blame. The issue, as always, is proving it decisively enough to influence change. Better yet, prove it so assholes won't say "This needs more study."
Part of the What Everyone Needs to Know Series by Oxford Uni. Press. A good book. Sections include what, how and where to explain the process and two sections covering the case for and against the process.
Prud'Homme is as thorough as his name is difficult to type. His work is balanced as well, he's not grinding an ax. Prud'Homme has an extensive bib at the end and has notes throughout. I tell ya, it's nice to see notes and references that are not all bullshit political references.
I'm kinda split on the fracking process myself. I have a 1st cousin who started an oil services company for the pumps used in fracking. He's been quite successful and the company works in oil fields around the country. There has been a lot of job growth and plenty of money for a lot of communities.
The downsides to fracking are in the news all the time: earthquakes, massive water use, polluted water after the process, ground water contamination, etc. Some of those - earthquakes and ground water contamination - need to be scientifically proven but sure look clear.
A major issue with any major industry is: Who writes the rules? Oil industry concerns lobby a lot of more effectively than small cities and towns spread across the continent. The chemicals used in fracking fluid are trade secrets - hey, it is a very competitive industry and I can understand some secrecy. But, if the used water is not treated and cleaned where does it go? Used water can be pumped way below the level of aquifers but not everyone does that, and is that causing tremors?
It's a fast changing industry that seems to follow the usual cycle where 1) a new opportunity comes up, 2) people rush in and many companies cut corners for money and time, 3) citizens react to abuses, 4) government and the courts get involved, 5) hopefully things settle down with realistic rules and regulations.
Those rules and regulations can rapidly change, too. The industry is overseen by both federal and state laws. A change in government administration can rapidly change things for the better or worse. Or, you get a guy like this jerk who tries to have people fired for doing research.
Comment:
1. The earthquake issue. I've no time to check but the geological studies look to be conclusive that fracking is to blame. The issue, as always, is proving it decisively enough to influence change. Better yet, prove it so assholes won't say "This needs more study."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)