Church of Copacabana, Bolivia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Church_of_copacabana.jpg

Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plitvice_Lakes_National_Park

       So much controversy has surrounded the words “global warming” that most people aren’t quite sure what the term means anymore. Sure, it means that earth is heating up like a sauna in a drought, but what is the science behind the rising temperatures, carbon dioxide levels, and sea level? In this article, I will boil down the essentials of what the average citizen needs to know about this pressing 21st century issue.

       The story begins with greenhouse gases. Examples include carbon dioxide (the most famous) methane (CH4—extremely potent), nitrogen dioxide (N2O---from exhaust in cars), ozone (O3---found in photochemical smog), and most surprisingly, water vapor (H2O). Who knew that everyday water vapor is actually contributing to global climate change? Let’s spend a minute discussing carbon dioxide. This compound comes from industrial processes, smoke stacks, car engines, etc. Worse, Co2 stays in the troposphere for over 100 years, affecting not just the current generation, but also their children and grandchildren as well. Co2 is the biggest threat to temperature stability because of its abundance in the atmosphere; according to CBS news, “[Carbon dioxide] accounted from 80% of the increase in overall greenhouse gas concentrations.” Nitrogen dioxide comes primarily from cars, but it isn’t nearly as potent as methane, a key component of natural gas. To touch on another topic briefly, methane is the reason why fracking is so controversial. Sure, the process is efficient and cost-effective, but if some of that methane slips into the atmosphere, devastating climate effects could ensue (methane is 23 times from powerful than carbon dioxide). However, methane is a great energy source because it burns cleanly and can be created from trash/manure in third world countries. Finally, as far as who emits the most greenhouse gases, China is definitely taking the lead on this front. In 2010, the giant of a country emitted around 7,500 million metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere; it is predicted that by 2030, they will have released around 12,000 million metric tons. Scan this graphic here.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WhereIsTheHeatOfGlobalWarming.jpg

       The name “greenhouse gas” is applied to these substances because they act like a greenhouse in which the interior keeps getting warmer and warmer. First, visible light strikes Earth; some is absorbed while most is reflected back into space as infrared waves. However, these new light waves are trapped inside GHGs and are unable to escape into the atmosphere (creating more heat). Like a greenhouse, the heat has nowhere to go except down to the level of humans, impacting our health, crops, and livelihood. A study on global warming awareness was recently reported on by National Public Radio. The study mentioned in the article stated that out of a survey, 80% of the people acknowledged global warming, but only 12% had an idea on how the actual process and the inclusion of greenhouse gases works. Because of this widespread dearth of basic understanding, Michael Ranney (Ph.D., University of Pittsburg) started a website, www.howglobalwarmingworks.org , which aims to educate the public and inform them of smart decisions to make. Watch this simplified video here for some global warming graphics.

       The warmer climate affects the environment in several ways. First, crop yields decrease because of an increase in desertification and salinization instances. Organisms are forced to migrate to higher latitudes because they cannot tolerate the warmer climate. Amphibians die off because their outer skin is susceptible to different temperatures and toxins. Additionally, GHGs and criteria pollutants are causing the troposphere to become inhospitable and dirty. In the future, we will have to contend with these nasty pollutants, and they will definitely have an effect (I predict a nefarious one) on our health.

Atmospheric Methane http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methane

Lower Antelope Canyon, Arizona, USA http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lower_Antelope_Canyon_478.jpg

By: Russell Gold

       Since I read ALL the time, I thought I would start a mini-series on book reviews. Watch out for more posts like this one! 

First Impressions:

       I love learning about the environment and how energy powers global markets, so this book was an interesting read for me. The book wasn’t strictly about the arduous fracking process; rather, it was the history and politics behind the relatively new natural gas extraction method. The story of fracking and its birth as a controversial issue in global politics was told through anecdotes of energy magnates and experiences of everyday people. For example, the author delved into the scandals of Chesapeake Energy Company as well as the mistakes/successes of George Mitchell, the so-called “father of fracking.” After discussing these juicy topics, Gold would then add a dash of quotidian spice by describing the woes of local farmers and Texan/Pennsylvanian citizens whose quiet land had been taken over by large companies fracking for oil and gas. Overall, I enjoyed this book (although I didn't quite finish it because I ran out of renewals at my local library) and wasn't bored at any point. I often found myself reaching for this book over Italian travel books or National Geographic.

Sentence that Summarizes the Book:

       Energy companies seem to think that growth is good, and that every resource on this planet needs to be extracted for capital gain. (My second sentence would be: Aubrey McClendon is a reckless and corrupt politician).

Important Events and a Quick Summary:

       Just to summarize the events in this nonfiction book, I will point out some of the most important topics discussed and analyzed. The book started out with a personal anecdote highlighting the author’s parents. They were one of the many families affected by the invasion of natural gas companies in the recent decade. Large companies, like seagulls attacking innocent tourists with large, juicy hamburgers, noisily ask landowners for the right to “lease” their land so they can drill on the property. The companies keep coming back to these cash-strapped farmers, making the large prices companies are willing to pay for the mineral rights as attractive as new, white Louis Vuitton purses. Gold then proceeded to give a history of fracking, from the sordid boom-towns of the late 1800s to the innovators who threw explosives into wells to loosen the shale and gas underneath. Gold discussed the history of George Mitchell, the fracking tycoon who amassed immeasurable wealth through fossil fuels but was also interested in sustainability. Next, the author touched on the first modern gas well ever fracked successfully; the design was the brainchild of Nick Steinsberger (he decided to inject massive amounts of water at an extremely high pressure into the S.H.Griffin #4 Well). It was successful, and fracking as we know it today was born. To learn more about the actual process of fracking, click here. Devon Energy Company (run by the Nichols family) was one of the first to make use of horizontal fracking, a process that allows impermeable shale to be cracked more easily. Finally, the end of the book mostly discussed the volatile and egotistical nature of Aubrey McClendon, the Chesapeake Energy CEO who gambled exorbitant amounts of money on the potential capital gain of natural gas. McClendon, who ate up the natural gas in the Marcellus and Barnett shale formations, fell from public grace after spending too much money and displeasing his shareholders. Interestingly, he also formed a secret alliance with Carl Pope, the leader of the environmental group, the Sierra Club (a confusion of motives if ever there was one). 

Overall Message:

       The world runs on energy sources, and natural gas has the potential to fuel our globalized economies for many years (but not without tremendous costs to those actually living next door to huge hydraulic fracturing operations).

Verdict:

       I recommend this book because it would please environmentalists, historians, energy experts, and everyday citizens. This book was not a greenie, hippy, “tree-hugger” novel. It looked at the issue in question in an objective way, and spoke more disparagingly on politics rather than on the consequences of fossil fuel use and global climate change. Although at times some of the writing was technical and difficult to understand, most of the stories were engaging and thorough. However, the author discussed Aubrey McClendon so much that after a few chapters of hearing his name, I was rather uninterested in all the corrupt politics being described. Out of a scale of one to ten, I would give this book an 8.5.

Other Books by this Author?

       He has written on energy for the Wall Street Journal. Read his articles here.