How Hillary Clinton's State Department Sold Fracking to the World

[marble falls]

How Hillary Clinton's State Department Sold Fracking to the World
A trove of secret documents details the US government's global push for shale gas.

—By Mariah Blake
| September/October 2014 Issue

http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2014/09/hillary-clinton-fracking-shale-state-department-chevron

One icy morning in February 2012, Hillary Clinton's plane touched down in the Bulgarian capital, Sofia, which was just digging out from a fierce blizzard. Wrapped in a thick coat, the secretary of state descended the stairs to the snow-covered tarmac, where she and her aides piled into a motorcade bound for the presidential palace. That afternoon, they huddled with Bulgarian leaders, including Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, discussing everything from Syria's bloody civil war to their joint search for loose nukes. But the focus of the talks was fracking. The previous year, Bulgaria had signed a five-year, $68 million deal, granting US oil giant Chevron millions of acres in shale gas concessions. Bulgarians were outraged. Shortly before Clinton arrived, tens of thousands of protesters poured into the streets carrying placards that read "Stop fracking with our water" and "Chevron go home." Bulgaria's parliament responded by voting overwhelmingly for a fracking moratorium.

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Clinton urged Bulgarian officials to give fracking another chance. According to Borissov, she agreed to help fly in the "best specialists on these new technologies to present the benefits to the Bulgarian people." But resistance only grew. The following month in neighboring Romania, thousands of people gathered to protest another Chevron fracking project, and Romania's parliament began weighing its own shale gas moratorium. Again Clinton intervened, dispatching her special envoy for energy in Eurasia, Richard Morningstar, to push back against the fracking bans. The State Depart­ment's lobbying effort culminated in late May 2012, when Morningstar held a series of meetings on fracking with top Bulgarian and Romanian officials. He also touted the technology in an interview on Bulgarian national radio, saying it could lead to a fivefold drop in the price of natural gas. A few weeks later, Romania's parliament voted down its proposed fracking ban and Bulgaria's eased its moratorium.

The episode sheds light on a crucial but little-known dimension of Clinton's diplomatic legacy. Under her leadership, the State Department worked closely with energy companies to spread fracking around the globe—part of a broader push to fight climate change, boost global energy supply, and undercut the power of adversaries such as Russia that use their energy resources as a cudgel. But environmental groups fear that exporting fracking, which has been linked to drinking-water contamination and earthquakes at home, could wreak havoc in countries with scant environmental regulation. And according to interviews, diplomatic cables, and other documents obtained by Mother Jones, American officials—some with deep ties to industry—also helped US firms clinch potentially lucrative shale concessions overseas, raising troubling questions about whose interests the program actually serves.

<snip>

Long article well worth the read.

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[tularetom]

1. I think Obama had her on a very loose leash and she responded by conducting her own foreign policy

He was forced to accept her as SoS to avoid an unseemly last ditch battle at the 08 convention. But he is not a hands on boss and he probably stayed out of her face (or maybe that was part of the deal).

In any event, she was pretty much left to her own devices and she operated as sort of a rump government by making side deals with private corporations to advocate for them with foreign governments. What did she get out of it? I have no idea, but I think a detailed look at her campaign contributors could turn out to be very revealing.

[marble falls]

2. I think that is a very reasonable assumption. Her corporate contributors are troubling.

[Divernan]

22. Or a detailed look at contributors to the Clinton Family "non-profit" boutique charity.

From Post 3:
Activist also criticized the Clinton Foundation for accepting donations from a host of fossil-fuel companies, including Chevron, ExxonMobil and Duke Energy.

[amborin]

23. incredibly harmful on so many levels

[Ichingcarpenter]

3. Fracking Linked to Hospitalizations

Fracking Linked to Hospitalizations in the Marcellus Region

According to U of Penn & Columbia U Study — Frack area residents have health problems

Press Release — Perelman School of Medicine / University of Pennsylvania Health System, July 15, 2015

Philadelphia, PA – Hospitalizations for heart conditions, neurological illness, and other conditions were higher among people who live near unconventional gas and oil drilling (hydraulic fracturing), according to new research from the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia University published this week in PLOS ONE. Over the past ten years in the United States, hydraulic fracturing has experienced a meteoric increase. Due to substantial increases in well drilling, potential for air and water pollution posing a health threat has been a concern for nearby residents.

To address this issue, researchers from two Environmental Health Science Core Centers (EHSCC) of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences — the Center of Excellence in Environmental Toxicology (CEET) at Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine and the Center for Environmental Health in Northern Manhattan at the Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, examined the link between drilling well density and healthcare use by zip code from 2007 to 2011 in three northeastern Pennsylvania counties.



http://www.democraticunderground.com/112788790



Clinton’s voting record in the Senate isn’t entirely without an oil blemish: She voted in 2006, for example, for a bill that dialed back on protections for Florida’s coastline, opening up some 8 million new acres of the Gulf of Mexico to offshore drilling.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/tomzeller/2015/04/17/from-fracking-to-keystone-xl-green-groups-face-a-hillary-clinton-problem/


New Yorkers Against Fracking
100+ Environmental, Citizens, and Grassroots Groups from Across America Urge Hillary Clinton to Oppose.Fracking


http://www.scribd.com/doc/261482380/Letter-to-Secretary-Hillary-Rodham-Clinton

No answer.......


Hillary Praises Fracking, Stays Silent on Keystone


Clinton did, however, come out in favor of natural gas drilling, known as hydrofracking, which has become a key cause for environmental activists, who say that the risks involved in natural gas drilling are not yet known.

“Yes, natural gas can play an important bridge role in the transition to a cleaner, greener economy,” Clinton said, adding that safeguards should be in place to minimize environmental risk.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/12/01/hillary-praises-fracking-stays-silent-on-keystone.html


Green groups attack Hillary Clinton over fracking, Keystone

three climate-change groups — Friends of the Earth, the Center for Biological Diversity and 350.org — brought 10 demonstrators and “Frostpaw the Polar Bear” to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, where Mrs. Clinton was the keynote speaker for the Toner Prize for Excellence in Political Reporting.

The protest, albeit small, comes as one of the first signs of public pressure directed at Mrs. Clinton from the green movement, a key component of the Democratic Party coalition. The three groups behind the rally are seen as younger, more aggressive and less likely to follow political protocol than more established environmental organizations.

Mrs. Clinton has remained somewhat cagey on energy issues, showing support for domestic natural gas production, which involves fracking, while remaining mum on the Keystone XL pipeline. President Obama vetoed a bill to build the 1,179-mile pipeline last month.

As secretary of state, she pushed to expand the use of fracking to develop shale oil and natural gas in Europe and Asia as part of the Global Shale Gas Initiative. She also said she was “inclined” to sign off on the pipeline in 2010, according to Mother Jones.

“When she was Secretary of State, she made comments that she would approve the pipeline,” said Friends of the Earth climate and energy program director Ben Schreiber, who attended the rally. “She’s now avoiding the subject altogether.”

Activist also criticized the Clinton Foundation for accepting donations from a host of fossil-fuel companies, including Chevron, ExxonMobil and Duke Energy.

“Clinton has been laying the groundwork for a 2016 presidential campaign but has yet to take strong positions on climate policy or come out against the Keystone XL pipeline,” said the Center for Biological Diversity in a Monday statement.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/mar/23/hillary-clinton-attacked-green-groups-over-frackin/

[marble falls]

5. You always find the good stuff!

[moobu2]

4. This probably had more to do with countering

that area's dependence of Russia's natural gas than anything else. I know, in Bernie-world nothing like this would be necessary because we would do away with petroleum products, everybody would be moved to the middle class and healthcare would be free for everybody.

[marble falls]

6. And your problems with moving from petroleum to sustainable would be what?

[marble falls]

7. This is mail fom someone too timid to post his/her opinion in the sunshine:

with my reply:

marble falls
Re: Full of right wing hit pieces aren't you

Mail Message
Too embarrassed to spout that nonsense in public, eh? Afraid you might get hidden, AGAIN? Keep drinking your kool aid. I don't want fracking, TPP, Keystone. The right wing thrives on that shit. I did notice you never spoke on the facts or the truth.

> Well you only have till Super Tuesday then Hillary will be the nominee.
> Bernie will never get the AA vote and he can't win without it.
> Your days in the sun are numbered.

upaloompa

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=profile&uid=283764&sub=trans

[Ichingcarpenter]

8. Nasty person... you need to block his emails

no wonder he's on a timeout looking at his hides

[marble falls]

9. I read the threads and I was surprised how well recieved his/her outbursts were.....

Is messaging the way for these twerps to get around being alerted?

[Ichingcarpenter]

10. He's on a timeout .. so he can mail......can't alert them except for stalking.

[marble falls]

11. The more I'm here, the more I learn. Thanks.

[artislife]

14. But what do you think about fracking?

The topic of the OP

Because it scares the sh*t out of me. If Germany can go solar and the Netherlands can be long time wind advocates, why can't H push that. Instead of a practice that causes earthquakes and can ruin ground water?
We have to start thinking long term or there won't be a long term to think about.

[marble falls]

15. Its going to be an ongoing disaster for a long time even if it all stops today. Absfreakinglutely...

scares the bejebers out of me. They're perfectly screwing Texas and my Ohio friends tell me about 300 earthquakes a year around Youngstown.

[artislife]

16. We could not destroy this planet

Any faster if we tried. .well almost. But I cannot believe how fast we are doing it.

[marble falls]

17. Well the laws of physics say we can't destroy the planet but allows us to affect its form in....

what ever way we do until we die a Malthusian end. Same matter, different form..... dystopian robot world, Eden or a cloud of space debris.

[beam me up scottie]

18. "right wing hit pieces" from Mother Jones???

Thank you for posting that, marble falls, I needed a laugh today.

Rec'ing op just to piss off your now not so secret admirer.

[marble falls]

19. I know. Such dumbness needs sharing. I like sharing a good laugh.

[beam me up scottie]

20. I just got a special pm from seabeyond:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1251&pid=474639

I suggest everyone share their pms so they don't think we can be intimidated.

It's kind of sad, having to phone in the insults...

[marble falls]

21. Absolutely. I've got another one.......

EEO
Mr. Troll

Mail Message
You may have had one of my posts hidden, but that was only because I didn't make my case against you and how many posts you have basically posted the same comment on. You won't be receiving that kindness in the future. Good day to you.


The funny part is I didn't alert on his nasty little message. I didn't even look for it until I received the mail.

This is what it turned into:

EEO Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Mr. Troll Jun 22
EEO Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Mr. Troll Jun 22
EEO Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Mr. Troll Jun 22
EEO Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Mr. Troll Jun 22
EEO Re: Re: Re: Re: Mr. Troll Jun 22
EEO Re: Re: Mr. Troll Jun 22
EEO Mr. Troll

With me asking each time to leave me alone.


He's the guy who posts all the nil admirari lame stuff.

[Agony]

12. Still a bridge to nowhere…

"Methane and the greenhouse gas footprint of natural gas from shale formations"

Fracking should not be a part of any national energy policy.

[Cheese Sandwich]

13. yuck nt