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Listen to Chris Nelder discuss energy independence on NPR

Sure, he's correct on the wide variety of needs and the humongous needs that a robust economy demands.

But, the U.S. could have been energy independent many years ago. The only reason that we are not, is because of the many hurdles put in front of the energy sector by a massive number of regulations which prevents them from seeking and developing the huge number of energy sources available to the oil and coal and natural gas industry. Whatever is being developed now, is in spite of the attempts to handcuff the energy industry, and if government had its way, we could all be riding around in bicycles and waking to most places we need to get to.

When people focus on just one narrow aspect of the overall problems with our demands for energy, then, the most important questions won't be addressed.

So you're saying reports (actually two reports) like this, predicting Marcellus drilling for the next 50 years, are completely wrong?

http://online.wsj.com/article/AP535162a5b4d84e558ea4f85c52a0f4d5.html

Mr. Nelder has been pulling his hair out, yelling, turning his face beet red, etc. for the last 5 years as natural gas production has soared and made a mockery of the "peak energy" doomers (of which Nelder is one of the more prominent).

Nelder's views are so far off base not sure if he can even post on The Oil Drum anymore, much less have his voice heard in mainstream media. I'm surprised WHHY takes him seriously. 5 years from now, when the Marcellus production is far higher than it is today, this report will look pretty silly. But it will be an interesting addition to the Nelder-doomer-oeuvre.

Wait till the shale gas mess starts showing his real face. When well casings start to collapse eaten by the same aggressive and toxic chemicals used to crack open the rocks. When Methane, the main ingredients in natural gas which is twenty times more potent as a greenhouse gas then CO2, is bubbling up everywhere. Lot of farmers have already today no water for their live stock or to irrigate. Thats the real problem behind Fracking.
Each fracking shot uses Millions of Litres of clean fresh water, which will be lost for ever or at least along time even in geological terms. Who can make drinking water out of oil or natural gas, you may get rich.
Go look at this from an old hand in Fracking: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSWmXpEkEPg&noredirect=1
Dont just listen to the biased and from the O&G Lobby paid off so called experts.

exaggerating the "problems" with any kind of drilling or digging for our energy. Fracking is one of those things which is exaggerated in order to scare people in to demanding that government step in and prevent it.

Drilling for oil is another example where the environmentalists try to scare government officials and the citizens into action, but, what most people fail to realize is that, most of the damage from drilling is being caused in countries where the U.S. is powerless, like in the middle-east and in Venezuela and Algeria.

So, who to believe: the environmental movement, or the reality on the ground, which makes the environmental movement powerless, except in the U.S.?