Sunday, April 14, 2013
As the Marcellus Shale industry expands in western Pennsylvania—and individual property owners start to benefit—issues often become controversial, especially when it comes to the environment.
Marcellus Shale is here to stay. Like its natural resource predecessors—coal deep mining and strip mining, natural gas and oil wells, and logging—Marcellus Shale drilling brings jobs and a source of energy for businesses and consumers. Like its predessors, Marcellus Shale drilling also brings and will most likely leave behind environmental concerns. Today, there's mine insurance today for those who own homes and businesses above areas that were mined for coal 100 or more years ago. Reclamation efforts were mandated in 1977 to restore areas destroyed by strip mining and why there's always a danger of an oil or gas well fire or leak into waterways. Reforestation replaces trees lost to the logging industry. Already, Marcellus Shale has raised…
Sunday, January 20, 2013
The issues are many, but which stands out as the one most important to America?
A flurry of festivities will set Washington, D.C. in motion this week as President Barack Obama is sworn in Monday for his second term in office. With "Faith in America's Future" as the theme for the 2013 inauguration, the celebration will reflect the country's perseverance and unity, as well as commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation and the placement of the Statue of Freedom atop the Capitol Dome in 1863. The inaugural address, parade, and a number of balls and galas that honor the president will have a certain priority of their own. But when the hoopla dies down, there's some serious work to be done. Through the last year, our Patch Polls have focused on some of the major issues facing the country. This week, …
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Some lawmakers are in Washington, DC this weekend, trying to hammer out a last-minute deal to avoid the fiscal cliff, but if they don't, average citizens might feel the impact.
Our nation is less than two days from going over the "fiscal cliff"—and the compromise clock is ticking loudly. Senate leaders worked toward a last-minute compromise on Saturday to avoid middle-class tax increases and possibly prevent deep spending cuts, such as a 27 percent fee cut for doctors who treat Medicare patients. Tax Policy Center, a nonpartisan think tank, predicts that nearly 90 percent of households would be affected if Congressional leaders fail to reach a compromise before the Jan. 1 deadline. Among the impacts to average citizens: Those things would hit people in the wallet, which in turn has the potential to adversely affect our already-weak economy. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke has said the combination of tax …
Thursday, March 15, 2012
The March Madness begins!
The brackets are finished and the March Madness has begun, baby (channeling my inner Dick Vitale)! It's going to be a very busy day at the CONSOL Energy Center in downtown Pittsburgh as the NCAA Tournament gets underway with four second round games, including West Virginia against Gonzaga and Syracuse taking on UNC-Asheville without their star center Fab Melo. The action begins one day after Pitt won its first round game of the College Basketball Invitational. The Post-Gazette reports 1,449 fans attended the game—the smallest crowd to attend a men's basketball game in the 10-year history of Petersen Events Center (ouch). It's apparent all eyes in Pittsburgh are on the NCAA Tournament. College basketball fans across the nation—and even …
Tom Barchfeld
8:38 am on Thursday, April 18, 2013
Mike, the EPA head herself could not find 1 instance of pollution in 60 years of fracking history. more ›