Discuss: Shale Game

You use an acronym, CBM.  What is CBM?  I have searched for the meaning in previous comments, but your comment is the first.  Please inform the readership.

John: CBM refers to coal bed methane, and the practice of fracking for gas in coal beds in the West. It has the same kinds of impacts as fracking in the east, groundwater and surface pollution-wise. Orion did a series of features on this in 2006, see here:

http://www.orionmagazine.org/cbm

Erik
Orion magazine

I’m writing from northeast Ohio where gas industry reps are in a frenzy to lease any and all lands, no matter what.  Uninformed property owners see this as a windfall because NO ONE is talking about the true, devastating effects this will have on our environment, our property values and our way of life.  Thank you for your thoughtful insights.

Thanks everyone for your comments.

Want to continue the discussion in real time?

Please plan to join the author of this piece for a live discussion of the thorny environmental and human health implications of ‘fracking’ on October 27th. More information and call-in details:

http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/newsfrom187/entry/5953/

Hope you can join us!

Erik, Orion magazine

Some of these comments people are saying here on this issue really seem to make me look at this in a whole new way. I do enjoy the responses though.

What are we going to drink after they frack our aquifers?  Who will stand up for their great, great grandchildren and their right to clean air and water?
Jesse Colin Young