From the Gonzo

The black heart of the Alleghenies–Drilling and Logging in the National Forest February 22, 2006

I love nature. I avidly pursue it. And just as avidly want to see it protected from profiteering and exploitation. We humans do enough damage as is.

Every couple years, since 2001, I have made the long drive to Pennsylvania, first to Pittsburgh and then on north to an area just south of Jamestown, New York. The heart of the Allegheny Mountains and right smack dab in the middle of the Allegheny National Forest. Truly one of the most amazing places on Earth. A place that I last visited in the spring of 2005.

One major thing stood out in my mind while I was there. There were a number of new natural gas and oil wells dotting the forested mountains. More than I remembered being there on my previous two excursions to the locale. New access roads crept up hillsides where before only trees stood. The forest still bore the scars of the reckless hack job done on its denizens. Fresh gravel roads, leading up to the brand new, pine green wells, shone brightly on even the rainy days, almost mocking the arboreal surroundings. (more…)

Burnin’ down the forest February 15, 2006

As a warm up to the post I am still preparing on oil/natural gas drilling and logging in Pennsylvania’s Allegheny National Forest (best vacation spot ever) here is a little piece I wrote up about the Bush administration’s Healthy Forests Initiative. Originally intended as part of the logging/drilling post, it became its own post because it was too off-topic and didn’t add to the discussion on drilling at all, so enjoy. (more…)

Alaska and its oil December 20, 2005

I wanted to blog about something more substantial than some old poems but the only thing I could find was that the drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge had passed the House.

Intrigued, I wanted to find the text of the legislation.

But the text of the legislation doesn’t mention anything about Alaska, except for some Air Force operational appropriations.

I assumed these were amendments to the Defense Appropriations Bill, stuff concerning not only ANWR but also disaster relief for those affected by Hurricane Katrina. (more…)