Bush Oil Policies Ruining Pristine Lands/Dark Skie

The August 25 2004 edition of the Los Angeles Times carried an extensive article on the administration's policy of opening vast expanses of protected wilderness in Wyoming, New Mexico and Colorado to open drilling for oil.
Ranchers,farmers,hunters and fishermen,many of whom described themselves as staunch republicans, have denounced this activity and have registered their outrage at the Bush administration for initiating it at a torrid pace. Critics,moreover,note such activity will not decrease our dependence on foreign oil.
One of my favorite starting points for backpacking in the grand tetons is Pinedale Wyoming which now has oil rigs lit-up like christmas trees in the backyard of the national forest...so much for dark skies. The same thing is happening in New Mexico and in other areas of previously undisturbed natural habitat.
Bush, the oil companies favorite son at the helm...

Rod, those in this country who actually care about the environment are well aware that GWB is the worst enemy to come down the pike in a long time. His environmental vision taken to completion would result in a planet not very many people would care to live on. And yet he still gets the support of nearly 50% of the electorate. To say that defies reason is an understatement. :S

"One of my favorite starting points for backpacking... is Pinedale Wyoming which now has oil rigs lit-up like christmas trees in the backyard of the national forest...so much for dark skies... Bush, the oil companies favorite son at the helm..."

Come on people, this is not a simple George Bush is evil issue!

I am highly conflicted about this topic because I know and love the Pinedale area as well as anyone who does not live there full time. I have backpacked out of Pinedale for a week or more at least every third year since 1978. I do not like looking at wells either, however:

1. The people of Wyoming have every right to make a living. Many locals support this industry. (Others do not.)

2. The wells in Pinedale are predominantly gas wells. This is the clean and environmentally friendly way to heat our homes. Also, and this part really bugs me, this gas market has been developed because of the needs of California.

Foreign natural gas is extremely difficult to transport via ship, and thus, very expensive.
This is why the major gas fields in Wyoming, known as the Pinedale/Jonah Fields, laid more or less undeveloped after their discovery for more than decade. The field which represents more than 20% of all gas discoveries in the US over the past few years is finally being developed to its potential only because the completion of a major pipeline from Pinedale to the California markets. A visit to Pinedale this week would literally find traffic jams in the little town of about 5,000. The traffic jams are drilling rigs being hauled to the fields during the seven month drilling season before further drilling is shut down during the winter breeding season for the migrating wildlife.

http://wais.stanford.edu/USA/usa_052204.htm

I am going to get agitated if I hear many more Californians bitching about other Western States environmental practices. I’m not trying to pick on Rod here. He probably doesn’t know where the Pinedale gas is going. But California does not allow energy production in their back yard, yet they sure consume a lot of it. Their needs are arguably trashing a place I love. That being said, I think that the commercial desires of the locals trump the environmental desires of the out-of-state people like me in this case. And it hurts me in a deeply personal way. I remember Pinedale when it was a wide spot in the road.

I will tell you how to solve the Pinedale problem (and I recognize that I am being irrational here, but I am pissed :C ). Cap all pipelines leading into California, and let them freeze to death if they don’t produce their own energy!!!! Our consumptive society is not W’s fault. You want to know who to blame for Pinedale…. Look in the mirror.

- Jim -