Comments on: Fracking Centers at Universities Cause More Problems Than They Solve https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2012/08/29/fracking-centers-at-universities-cause-more-problems-than-they-solve/ Just another WordPress site Wed, 14 Feb 2024 02:06:39 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Paul Brown https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2012/08/29/fracking-centers-at-universities-cause-more-problems-than-they-solve/#comment-11576 Paul Brown Mon, 10 Sep 2012 04:18:16 +0000 http://www.frackcheckwv.net/?p=5986#comment-11576 FRACKADEMIA: Critics question the legitimacy of industry-funded ‘frackademia" — the nexus between academia and companies with a stake in "fracking," the controversial method of extracting gas and oil from shales. http://www.texasobserver.org/cover-story/at-universities-fracking-research-funded-by-oil-and-gas-companies FRACKADEMIA: Critics question the legitimacy of industry-funded ‘frackademia” — the nexus between academia and companies with a stake in “fracking,” the controversial method of extracting gas and oil from shales.

http://www.texasobserver.org/cover-story/at-universities-fracking-research-funded-by-oil-and-gas-companies

]]> By: Ralph Larkin https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2012/08/29/fracking-centers-at-universities-cause-more-problems-than-they-solve/#comment-11418 Ralph Larkin Mon, 03 Sep 2012 03:19:53 +0000 http://www.frackcheckwv.net/?p=5986#comment-11418 Why does the shale well to be studied by West Virginia University professors have to be on WVU land?  So the students will have something to watch weekdays?  (Football takes care of Saturdays.) I doubt the administration needs entertainment through the week!    I'll bet it is to study the health effects on young adults, the most resistant part of the population to toxic substances...   Naa, that would skew results.  You need children or old folks.  A school would be better, or perhaps a retirement home.   I know! It's a crony deal.  If you have faculty studying it, you have an excuse to have it on campus.  That's the answer.    However, if someone plans to buy the result before the research is done, it could be done anywhere, but far away in the boonies would be better - somewhere other faculty wouldn't be looking over your shoulder.   You know how fractious these faculty types are: someone is sure to point out the fact that the research has to confirm what the industry wants or they don't come back with more dollars.  You know, like that famous Tobacco Institute that found smoking has no effect on health for four decades.   Anyway, why does WVU need an institute to study shale drilling?  Why does it want to sully its hands with such a contentious subject?  Let individual faculty work on the problem.  If it goes wrong, let the individual researcher carry the onus.  Not the whole university. Why does the shale well to be studied by West Virginia University professors have to be on WVU land?  So the students will have something to watch weekdays?  (Football takes care of Saturdays.) I doubt the administration needs entertainment through the week! 
 
I’ll bet it is to study the health effects on young adults, the most resistant part of the population to toxic substances…   Naa, that would skew results.  You need children or old folks.  A school would be better, or perhaps a retirement home.
 
I know! It’s a crony deal.  If you have faculty studying it, you have an excuse to have it on campus.  That’s the answer. 
 
However, if someone plans to buy the result before the research is done, it could be done anywhere, but far away in the boonies would be better – somewhere other faculty wouldn’t be looking over your shoulder.
 
You know how fractious these faculty types are: someone is sure to point out the fact that the research has to confirm what the industry wants or they don’t come back with more dollars.  You know, like that famous Tobacco Institute that found smoking has no effect on health for four decades.
 
Anyway, why does WVU need an institute to study shale drilling?  Why does it want to sully its hands with such a contentious subject?  Let individual faculty work on the problem.  If it goes wrong, let the individual researcher carry the onus.  Not the whole university.

]]> By: j.c. https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2012/08/29/fracking-centers-at-universities-cause-more-problems-than-they-solve/#comment-11366 j.c. Fri, 31 Aug 2012 05:12:05 +0000 http://www.frackcheckwv.net/?p=5986#comment-11366 hum, sounds like a pennstate plan where they get monies to say nothings wrong ... every thing fine ... money over people's health ... who would have ever thought that universities would sell the people out ... money the root of all evil! hum, sounds like a pennstate plan where they get monies to say nothings wrong … every thing fine … money over people’s health … who would have ever thought that universities would sell the people out … money the root of all evil!

]]> By: Paul Brown https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2012/08/29/fracking-centers-at-universities-cause-more-problems-than-they-solve/#comment-11342 Paul Brown Thu, 30 Aug 2012 03:50:48 +0000 http://www.frackcheckwv.net/?p=5986#comment-11342 A DREAM PROJECT AT W.V.U.? It seems to me that it is unrealistic for WVU to try to muster the money, trained personnel, real time electronic monitoring equipment, and analytical chemical analysis laboratories to follow a horizontal Marcellus well from start to finish.  The challenges to the management of the environmental disturbances on public lands would be extreme.  Such a project is clearly far beyond the scope of any existing research teams at WVU. Just as seriously, it is unreasonable to expect WVU to produce any unbiased research on fossil fuel impacts on the environment or on society. The university is up to its chin in dirty funding from the fossil fuel industry, and the appearance of conflicts of interest is unavoidable. The exception of the excellent research of those like Michael Hendryx, whose ground-breaking analysis of the harmful effects of coal mining on community health are above suspicion. Similarly, it is ludicrous to expect honesty from a university which has just initiated a study of green energy production from coal and natural gas. There is no such thing, given the advanced state of global greenhouse gas emissions, earth temperature rise, and climate change.   Paul Brown, PhD professor emeritus, WVU Morgantown, WV A DREAM PROJECT AT W.V.U.?

It seems to me that it is unrealistic for WVU to try to muster the money, trained personnel, real time electronic monitoring equipment, and analytical chemical analysis laboratories to follow a horizontal Marcellus well from start to finish.  The challenges to the management of the environmental disturbances on public lands would be extreme.  Such a project is clearly far beyond the scope of any existing research teams at WVU.

Just as seriously, it is unreasonable to expect WVU to produce any unbiased research on fossil fuel impacts on the environment or on society. The university is up to its chin in dirty funding from the fossil fuel industry, and the appearance of conflicts of interest is unavoidable. The exception of the excellent research of those like Michael Hendryx, whose ground-breaking analysis of the harmful effects of coal mining on community health are above suspicion.

Similarly, it is ludicrous to expect honesty from a university which has just initiated a study of green energy production from coal and natural gas. There is no such thing, given the advanced state of global greenhouse gas emissions, earth temperature rise, and climate change.
 
Paul Brown, PhD
professor emeritus, WVU
Morgantown, WV

]]> By: S. Thomas Bond https://www.frackcheckwv.net/2012/08/29/fracking-centers-at-universities-cause-more-problems-than-they-solve/#comment-11339 S. Thomas Bond Thu, 30 Aug 2012 02:48:21 +0000 http://www.frackcheckwv.net/?p=5986#comment-11339 SHOULD W.V.U. FRONT FOR THE GAS INDUSTRY? Buying support from every institution in sight is an old Oil and Gas trick. They enjoy subsidies, favorable legislation, weak inspection and weak enforcement of such law as exists. Still they need a cozy public perception to maintain these benefits and override complaints. So the need for extensive "good works" in the community. And a lot of public relations. Legislatures are considerably less than generous with universities in many cases. So how does a research institution get it's funds? By solicitation of funds for projects. And what kind of projects get funded? Dedicated research centers certainly don't bring forth research that will upset it's sponsors! This article lists university after university setting up to do research on shale drilling with money from shale drillers. People! Do we have to be reminded of the conflict of interest? Do we not know what to expect? Can anyone doubt that such research will amount to little more than another PR angle? SHOULD W.V.U. FRONT FOR THE GAS INDUSTRY?

Buying support from every institution in sight is an old Oil and Gas trick. They enjoy subsidies, favorable legislation, weak inspection and weak enforcement of such law as exists. Still they need a cozy public perception to maintain these benefits and override complaints. So the need for extensive “good works” in the community. And a lot of public relations.

Legislatures are considerably less than generous with universities in many cases. So how does a research institution get it’s funds? By solicitation of funds for projects. And what kind of projects get funded?

Dedicated research centers certainly don’t bring forth research that will upset it’s sponsors! This article lists university after university setting up to do research on shale drilling with money from shale drillers. People! Do we have to be reminded of the conflict of interest? Do we not know what to expect? Can anyone doubt that such research will amount to little more than another PR angle?

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