Texas may be on the way to becoming all hat and no cattle.
The already changed climate is rippling through the Texas and national economy. Rising seas have doubled the latest flood zone in the flood maps of New York City, and drought has plunged America's cattle herd to the lowest level since 1952. Beef processing plants are closing, and beef prices are rising.
http://www.moneynews.com/Markets/Cargill-Beef-Cattle-Herd/2013/01/17/id/471955.
The drought has been especially severe in Texas, and there the cattle herd has fallen by 1 million head or 20% in just 2 years. http://agebb.missouri.edu/mkt/bull12c.htm. So while the wind business in Texas is roaring, the Texas cattle business is wilting.
I remember reading an article about a situation in Ft. Worth a year or so ago, when TX was in the depths of a very intense drought. It seems that even given this, a gas drilling company was withdrawing massive amounts of water out of a nearby river. This, during a time when the state was discussing having residents used recycled (cleaned up, of course) residential wastewater for home use. It seems to me that in the face of a drought, EVERYONE should be playing a role in reducing water use. What can be done to encourage the oil and gas industry to be more responsible - and respectful - in situations such as this?
ReplyDeleteRegulation and oversight are indispensable. The recycling of drilling wastewater is now possible and common. Please also see the Marhc 20 posting about the new Center for Sustainable Shale Development.
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