Editor:
I am writing in regard to the article by Pat Mulligan on fracking (“The potentially irreparable damage of fracking,” Aug. 2). It was an extremely one-sided representation of the issue and I was quite upset and disappointed to read it in the Star Herald. Mr. Mulligan, as vice president of the South Jersey Land and Water Trust, clearly has an agenda that is beyond the spiritual. I do agree that we all need to be concerned about the environment and that we are the stewards of God’s world; however, at the same time we are responsible for the well being of others.
Although I worked as a research chemist for an oil company for over 30 years, I would like to see a new energy source and get away from the use of hydrocarbons. That is not a possibility now. Without hydrocarbons we could not heat or cool our homes or drive our cars. Many products made from natural gas and oil including synthetic fabrics, medicines, detergents, plastics, etc. would no longer be available. At this point in time, we need hydrocarbons to live. Without them we would be doing a great injustice to society and especially to the poor.
We need to protect the environment and use the resources that God put on and in the earth responsibly. Unless we change our consumption, where we get the resources from the earth doesn’t really matter. If we’re drilling for oil in the Middle East or the Gulf of Mexico or fracking in Pennsylvania, is there really a difference to the preservation of God’s earth and natural resources? Our consumer driven lives provide the market for the energy companies. If we really want to save the environment, we each must take personal responsibility. Stop driving so much and so fast, car pool or walk. Lower the thermostat in the winter and raise it in the summer. Take a cooler and faster shower. Live without the latest gadget or fashion or car, etc.
The solution to saving the wonderful earth that God has given us as well as providing necessities for our people is a complex issue. The article by Pat Mulligan was certainly not the whole story.
Janet L. Lane
Haddonfield