Arkansas Conservation Alliance Blog

The Eco-Psycho Radio Show (Volume 1)

Ok, it's a little rough around the edges. I forgot my mic was on once, I forgot to stop a track once, and I had Luke's microphone too loud, but otherwise it might be considered infotainment. Enjoy at your risk.

Oil and Gas Reverse Mohawks

Why would the Arkansas State Legislature want a majority of people with oil and gas “experience” to populate the Arkansas Oil and Gas Commission?

Why would the Governor support such a bill?

Why now?

One Senator opined in committee, “Wouldn’t we want barbers to make up the majority of a barber commission?”

One might argue that a majority of barbers on such a commission might mandate reverse Mohawk haircuts because they are an easy, inexpensive style to perform. Barbers could get people in-and-out of the chair in five minutes and the industry makes more money.

We are not all barbers. Most of us are not barbers. Most of us do enjoy a haircut from time to time. So it’s in our best public interest to ensure a varied palette of haircut styles.

The mission of the Oil and Gas Commission is to serve the public.

If you don’t want them to give us all reverse Mohawks:

Please join me tomorrow, February 26, 2009 at the Arkansas State Capitol in room 309 at 10:AM

third floor / left side / in the back

Attention Democrats. The Ball is in Your Court.

Also good video here from Henry Waxman, Amy Mall and Dr. Colborn at 2007 Congressional Oversight Committee meeting.

The Eco-Psycho Radio Show

Eco-Psycho Promo by anthropop

Come One, Come All

Come On and Tell Us Already!

Back in early January I posted on the KUAR's Ask Governor Beebe page regarding disclosure of potential health hazards in the Fayetteville Shale. The dialogue went as follows:

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection published a list of 54 chemicals used in hydro-fracturing fluid used in Pennsylvania's Marcellus Shale. Many of these chemicals are known carcinogens and endocrine disruptors. The same type of chemicals have been used in Arkansas's Fayetteville shale for the last two years. Why hasn't the Department of Health or ADEQ made these chemicals known to the public?

Thanks for your answer,
Rod Bryan

Rod - ADEQ already has a list available, and I think you’ve obtained one yourself, of the chemicals typically contained in the liquids used in these drilling operations. The permit process for companies who later apply these liquids to land areas is changing to require submission of a full chemical breakdown of those fluids to ADEQ for review.
-Governor Mike Beebe

Thanks for the reply Governor,
If ADEQ has a list available, they have not made it public to my knowledge, or even gone so far as to acknowledge the existence of such a list when I spoke to them on the phone. In other words, they acted like they had never heard of such a list when I spoke to them. Perhaps that's protocol? It seems to me that if such a list has been acknowledged by ADEQ, it should be expeditiously shared with anyone and everyone who wants to see it.

That's where it ended. Yesterday I met with Charles McGrew and Dr. Joe Bates from the Arkansas Department of Health. Mr. McGrew is also a Pollution Control and Ecology board member. We had a very frank discussion about this same issue and I was assured that action is being taken on this matter. If the Health Department's "action" is comparable to the Governor's response above I trust that you will share in my dissatisfaction.

RB

Milk, we hardly knew ye....

Of the top 10 healthiest states, only Hawaii does not allow the sale of raw cow's milk.

The rankings from first to tenth are: VERMONT, HAWAII, NEW HAMPSHIRE,MINNESOTA, UTAH, MASSACHUSETTS,CONNECTICUT,IDAHO, MAINE, WASHINGTON.

Arkansas, the 43rd healthiest state, today rejected a bill to allow on-farm sales of raw cow's milk.

Do you think this will move us up the health ladder?

Great Raw Milk Facts PowerPoint