On the
sunny yet windy day of September 14th, 2012, there was a hint of
excitement in the air. Students were hurrying along to the last classes of the
day, or preparing to go home for the weekend. In the middle of the Upper Quad
of the Frostburg State University campus sat an impressive-looking circus type
tent. It was 2 p.m. and many students hurriedly walked by without giving the
tent a second thought. Little did they know the impact of what was being
discussed inside that tent. Five guest speakers from all over Maryland had come
together to discuss one huge issue of our state: Marcellus Shale and its
environmental and economic impacts on Maryland.
At the
presentation “Marcellus Shale and Western Maryland: Environmental and Economic
Impacts,” all of the speakers at the event voiced different opinions, which is
what made the event so thought-provoking and interesting. The first speaker,
Derrick Bender, was a representative from the University of Maryland Extension
Service. Bender, dressed in a sharp blue button down, made sure to emphasize at
the beginning of his speech that he does not get paid by the Natural Gas
Industry. Bender was more of the informative speaker at the presentation, and
gave statistics about non-mineral owners versus miner-owners. Non-mineral
owners must deal with reduced property values, added traffic and noise without
compensation, road degradation, and a demand in housing. When speaking of these
comparisons, he stated “This is where the rubber hits the road.” Bender did not
give many of his opinions on these issues, much unlike the speakers who
followed him.
Bill
Valentine was up next, representing the Allegany County Board of
Commissioners. Because the majority of people in the crowd were either
permanent of partial residents of Maryland (Allegany County in particular),
what he told the crowd resonated with every single person. According to
Valentine, 1% of the Marcellus Shale Gas found in the United States can be
found in Maryland. He pointed out that most of the buildings of this campus sit
over top old coal mines, stating that “Coal mines helped start this campus.” It
was hard to criticize coal and dirtier forms of energy when they helped to form
the very university the audience was sitting on.
Jim
Raley, who represented the Garrett County Board of Commissioners, followed
Valentine. He told the crowd that he supports gas expansion but still believes
that “There’s a sense of us versus them.” He asked the crowd, with a serious
expression on his face, “Should we stop drilling because of the Gulf disaster?”
This is a tricky question for many people who find themselves on the fence
about the issue. Raley told his crowd that he wants this debate in Maryland to
be fair. The issue affects him a fair amount, since the gas can be found all
throughout Garrett County. He stood up for the majority of people listening to
him when has asked why this issue is taking longer to solve than it took
American to build the Empire State Building and Golden Gate bridge.
James “Smokey”
Stanton, seemed to be one of the most down-to-Earth speakers there on that day.
He was a representative for Garrett County Marcellus Shale Natural Gas Advisory
Committee. With such a title, he seemed to be intimidating, as if he were going
to tell the crowd that they were wrong. However, many students present at the
presentation were sociology majors. They related much better to Stanton, who
has a Master’s degree in Social Work. When he said “I am a tree hugger, bunny
lover,” the crowd laughed and admired his ability to address everyone as if he
was one of the people. He discussed issues such as how the community will
benefit from the drilling. On that day, Stanton represented so much more than
his committee. He spoke for every common man in the room when he questioned how
to keep the people safe, rather than how to make some extra money. He told the
room that everyone had a right to know what was being injected under the
ground. Because of his kind words, he easily won over the attention of even the
most un-political individuals.
Mike Tidwell,
from the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, was the perfect follow-up to
Stanton. He was easily the most diverse speaker from present. As he was from the
Eastern shore of Maryland, he brought different perspectives to the table,
which was refreshing for those listeners who had already tired out of the
talks. Tidwell, an advocate for clean energy, brought up something nobody else
had thought to talk about that day: Clean Energy. When referring to the gas
companies who refuse to pay for studies to decide whether the drilling is safe
for the people or not, Tidwell said “If you don’t want the studies, don’t
frack.” He pointed out that Garrett County, in particular, is an excellent
candidate for wind power. The county has already been experimenting with the
clean energy source. He reminded everyone that this was simply a matter of
sustainability. He also showed his ability to relate when he told the crowd
that, while people hate to see windmills, they would probably take them over
seeing stripped mountains. This, especially, hit home for the people who are
local to the Frostburg area. He brought the environmental and economic
perspectives to the table by pointing out that earthquakes are triggered by
fracking, wind energy is clean and lasts for forever, and gas energy is merely
dirty and temporary.
When he had finished speaking, an
older gentleman in the crowd attempted to shoot Tidwell’s speech down, saying
that no one is really willing to take the initiative to use clean energy. To this,
Mike Tidwell confidently told the gentleman that his home is actually heated by
corn kernels. And with this statement, Mike Tidwell successfully showed people
that they believe only what they want to believe, and that it is their duty to
listen to, and believe, the truth of matters. Mike Tidwell has the power to
begin and lead this campaign for Earth and mankind, one issue at a time,
starting with Marcellus Shale.
Shown above is the photo of the speakers who talked about this controversial issue. Back row, from left, are: Derrick Bender, Jim Raley, and Mike Tidwell. Front row, from left, are: Bill Valentine, James "Smokey" Stanton, and Kara Rogers Thomas. Special thanks to Kara Rogers Thomas for organizing this powerfully informative event!
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