Pennsylvania state Sen. John Yudichak was a bit disingenuous in his op-ed “America’s energy future depends on Pa.” (Dec. 5, TribLIVE). He states, “During the last decade, natural gas production in Pennsylvania has helped reduce CO2 emissions in the United States by 758 million metric tons — more than any country in the world.” It is common knowledge that the problem with natural gas is not CO2, but methane. (Yudichak, an independent who caucuses with Republicans, is from District 14 in Central Pennsylvania.)
According to the EPA, “Because methane is both a powerful greenhouse gas and short-lived compared to carbon dioxide, achieving significant reductions would have a rapid and significant effect on atmospheric warming potential.” Methane has 80 times the warming power of CO2. This means that cutting methane emissions is the fastest opportunity we have to immediately slow the rate of global warming.
According to a recent poll commissioned by the Ohio River Valley Institute, a clear majority of Pennsylvania voters support the immediate or eventual end of natural gas drilling or fracking in the commonwealth. Pennsylvania residents have brought dozens of lawsuits against the fracking industry. Mounting evidence shows that it poses serious threats to our health, environment and climate future. The money spent on weather- related incidents has ballooned in recent years. Fracking is just not worth the risk.
What is puzzling to me is that Yudichak chooses to take the side of the fossil-fuel industry over the wishes of his constituents, over their health and well-being, over the safety of our air and water. Instead of siding with a dying industry, he should be leading us into the 21st century.
Patricia Oliver
North Huntingdon