Independent Guestatorial: The Diamond Invasion

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“For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled.” Richard Feynman

Richard Feynman, one of our brightest scientists, was a member of the Presidential Commission investigating the Challenger disaster. Feynman was critical of the decision-making process that led NASA to launch, despite warnings from expert engineers. For the first time, NASA asked the engineers to prove launching was unsafe. NASA’s priority was funding the space program.

Home invasions are an illegal forceful entry into a private dwelling with intent to commit crimes. Criminals spend time observing and choosing their victims. They take the time to plan and find an easy mark. Recurrent break-ins are common; once criminals know the entry points, they will try again. If you leave your front door open and your windows up, you are an easy target.

Back in 2013, Valero Energy Corp. and Plains All American Pipeline LP planned to build a pipeline to transport shale crude oil from Cushing, Okla., to Memphis. Like thieves in the night, the plot was made. Arkansas was an easy target.

Why would Arkansas authorities ignore the known risks of earthquakes, flooding, oil spills, water contamination, and poor public health from a high-pressure pipeline? Why would they expect Arkansans to bury their heads in the sand and pretend all is good? Ignorance, arrogance, indifference, and fear are better than the alternatives.

Housing Bubble

The housing bubble was a financial scam driven by greed and ignorance. The early 2000’s was the perfect home buyer’s market. Interest rates were low and property values were going up. With properties as collateral, bankers were willing to make loans knowing home buyers may not be able to pay back the loan. Subprime mortgages were given to people with poor credit. For a while everyone was happy: people bought homes, banks got fees, and builders were busy. Then, homeowners were late making payments, and office buildings and new properties remained empty. The house of cards came down. With no credit, bad loans created the 2007-2009 economic recession.

Fracking Bubble

Fracking is destroying the U.S. economy and the world’s ecology. Nature cannot be fooled. Fracking uses scarce, life-giving pure water, to get low-quality, high-cost, corrosive crude oil. Fracking for oil is a very expensive, inefficient, brute-force process, with wells thousands of feet deep, using millions of gallons of clean water and unregulated toxic chemicals.

Frackers ignore the Second Law of Holes: “If you can’t pay your bills, stop digging.” Feynman said, “Energy is a very subtle concept, most people do not understand it.” The total amount of energy required to export one barrel of shale oil exceeds the amount of energy in the barrel.

Fracking has been cash-flow negative from the beginning. Declining production drives frackers to drill more wells, funded with debt. Low-interest rates encouraged investors desperate for high yields to sink their money into the fracking boom.

Fracking creates over production. Storing crude is hazardous and expensive. U.S. law was changed to allow crude oil exports. Bulk high-pressure pipelines are required to transport crude to the Gulf Coast.

Constructing pipelines is very expensive with high, upfront costs, and slow returns based on the number of barrels per day transported. The U.S. tax code was changed to help pipelines. Master Limited Partnerships, a high-risk financial scheme, shelters investors and provides tax-free dividends. Frackers don’t pay for earthquakes, oil spills, floods, soil erosion, lost crops, or anything else. We do.

Halting Diamond

When public health and environmental justice are ignored people have the obligation to protect their families. The Diamond Legal Challenge, www.gofundme.com/Stop-Diamond-Pipeline, funded by Arkansans with $10 donations, will stop the illegal pipeline.

What Diamond says on their website is bad news: Right-of-Way: The ROW may contain one or more pipelines or other utilities such as power lines, and will cross through public and private property. Jobs: 1,500 new contract construction positions will be created across Oklahoma and Arkansas. FALSE. Diamond uses expert crews. Economic Impact: The pipeline will provide $11 million in property tax revenue per year. FALSE. Landowners will pay for taxes on the ROW.

Dr. Luis Contreras

3 COMMENTS

  1. It is time to stop all new pipelines from being laid. We are all experiencing the destruction of our earth and pollution from oil and gas spills. Oklahoma a
    has no business adding to the fracking problems causing earthquakes that can be felt in 4 surrounding states. Cushing Ok has already felt the destruction. The people will not stand by and watch this black snake destroy our history of the decendents who walked and died on the Trail of Tears. This trail is the burial site of many ancestors. I pray for the people to wake up our Mother Earth needs us now more than ever. The children not born yet needs our help. The people will stand strong in prayer and protect what God gave us.
    Sings in Butterflies
    Chickamauga Cherokee

  2. Surprised to see less than 40 people have read about the Invasion, online, and no one has made a comment. What I write is based on research and facts, not a figment of my imagination. I would be happy to provide links to my sources. INVASION is a serious business, wake up Arkansas!

  3. Diamond says whatever they want on their website

    Many were surprised to read Tom Cotton repeating the Diamond lies: $11 million in property tax revenue per year. I guess he has more important issues to deal with trying to get a new job with Mr T

Comments are closed.