Comments about ‘Oil-shale decision sensible’

Excellent editorial, good to see that cooler heads prevail at the DNews editorial desk.

Oil shale poject had to be scrapped because it is close to canyonlands and arches? Give me a break. Those are the kinds of lines used by enviromentalists to convince eastern congressmen to make these kinds ov decisions. Don't use them on those of us who know how far 200 miles is. After reading that first lie I didn't even bother reading the rest of the article.

I agree that Salazar's decision was a reasonable and ethical one. Unfortunately most of this state's delegation and citizenry will throw a fit and hurl insults over this. We live in one of the most beautiful and unique places I have ever seen, and for some reason we would rather rip it up for a temporary way to cheaply fill our gas tanks. The real tragedy with humans living only 70 years or so is that we have little foresight and are willing to rob future generations for temporary gain.

The DNews could have written this same editorial every 5 years for the last 40 years. "Let's be reasonable and not go too fast on oil shale leasing."

These areas have been studied to death. There is nothing else to study. The shale still sits there undisturbed and untested. Research continues slowly.

The time has come to do something. Let's see if a process or two can be tested and either proven or unproven. Give a company or two a shot at the leases. Companies, too, get tired of the same old "let's wait and see" position of the federals.

Yes, lets wait for the next catastrophic rise in gas prices before we search out alternative sources of power. Keep the shortsightedness coming.

BLECK!

The leases near Arches and Canyonlands were for oil, not oil shale. Deseret News, you are misleading people, get your facts straight.

Simple fact is that when oil prices are above $100/barrel oil shale is cheaper to produce. Having the means to produce fuel cheaply, is the first step to energy independance. If the US was to become energy independant overnight, you would see the middle east begin to panic because we are their biggest customer. However, it would make energy cheaper for underdeveloped countries, which would help them to improve themselves.

Orrin Hatch gets bashed for raising money for the families foundation that supports the Childrens Justice Center, the Road Home, the Crandall Canyon mine disaster families, etc. and Ken Salazar gets kudos for stopping reasonable energy development. Why does the media not look into where Salazar's campaign money comes from - the environmental community. Talk about being in somebody's back pocket! Moveon.org was his second largest contributor, the Council for a Liveable World? The Forest City Enterprise? And not a peep out of the SL Tribune while they bash Orrin Hatch about raising money for charitable purposes - c'mon people give Salazar his whipping too.

As usuall, the only thing stopping energy independance is the government.

Our almighty God will send new oil to Earth! The shale will not be needed. Don't worry, be happy!

Disappointed in Deseret News Editorial Board. Do they actually know where the oil shale leases were located? They weren't adjacent to national parks and beautiful vistas, but are actually in a very forlorn part of the State. Quit reading the liberal talking points from George Soros, and get back to reality. Is the memory of $4 a gallon gas just too distant for you people? And is not the loss of royalty revenue for Utah's Schools not a hugh, glaring issue to you people at the Deseret News? The Oil Shale is a domestic supply that lies untapped. Yes, we should reduce dependence, but that can't happen overnight. We still need domestic supplies for decades to come, and we need to start looking to these places --that God has provided for man's use. It's a travesty -- and Inteiror Department's actions were precipitous, hasty, and ideologically driven. And harmful to Utah's coffers. I would have thought the Deseret News would have at least raised an eyebrow... but the pull of the Kool Aid proves too strong.

Some of the american people wanted a change and you are getting hit. Be careful what you wish for. You may get it. We need all the oil available in Utah, Wyoming and Dakotas to help get us independent of foreign oil. Salazar is a typical Obama cronie. Do what I want not what the majority of the American people want and need.

I read the first paragraph of this editorial and realized it was bunk. To paraphrase, "The right decision because gas is so low." Essentially saying the government made the decision for the investors on whether it was a good or bad idea to invest right now. LET THE INVESTORS MADE THE DECISION.

The misinformed Deseret News editors need to visit with the folks in the Vernal area, where the oil shale is located, to get your facts straight before printing such garbage.

Do you people understand that fossil fuels are non-renewable? Drill all you want, take all the oil shale you want; with 300 million Americans all driving cars it won't last long. You want energy independence? Try driving a fuel efficient car and stop reproducing like bacteria.

Perhaps you are right though; If God went to all the trouble to create such a splendid world, it must have been so we can have our way with it.

Deseret News, is starting to reflect the Elitist's mentality. I must therefore have cause to question the integrity of those in leadership positions of this organization. One would think, to think long term, and use, to the best of our ability what resources that are available to us. I fear that arrogance and corruption has truly penetrated, every level, and all the institutions of our country.

I could say these comments amaze me. They are mostly based on hatred, greed and entitlement. These people, after years of blindly following their Messiah Limbaugh have been brainwashed to hate anyone who cares about the environment we leave to future generations. These people have values were everything is measured in dollars. Living in Utah, whose citizens get back $1.28 for each federal tax dollar, has created a state of entitlement.

If you took twenty minutes and you read about oil shale, you would realize that Utah would be forced to make a choice: water for people or water for processing shale. Utah's fail to value property rights. Public land belongs to all Americans and Utahans are less than one percent of Americans. If we want to look at our land, it ours, not yours!

Why have you bpught into mediocrity? If you a soldier why not strive to wear a green beret? Once Americans revered their intellectual elites, like Jefferson. Only a conservative, is at a level of cognition that he sees himself incapable of succeeding intellectually that he must marginalize America's educated. Once education was democratic. Anyone could read and become educated.

To "Anonymous | 10:40 a.m." you claim that to produce oil from shale, you use up water for production. However, according to Arnold B Hubbard of the Argonne National Lab (DOE funded) in a paper titled "Method for Reclaiming Waste Water from Oil Shale Production" he demonstrates a simple method to taking the wase water, and either REUSING it withing the plant. In other words, it may take 3 barrels of water to make 1 barrel of oil, but those same 3 barrels can be used over and over again, thus the water supply is not significantly decreased.

You are again sounding like the very problem that you complain about. You say that "Only a conservative, is at a level of cognition that he sees himself incapable of succeeding intellectually that he must marginalize America's educated." Yet you are trying to marginalize the editorial staff, which I would assume is part of America's educated. Pot, meet Kettle.

Next time we will have to lower the royalties we get because no company will want to invest in "leases" that the government takes back. The enticement of only 5% royalties won't be enough to lure the companies into helping us become independant.

Oh yea, by the way, our children will be too busy slaving away paying off Obama's debt to ever enjoy the great outdoors.....

Why worry about saving somehting for our kids on one hand, when you have trashed any hope for a reasonably good life for them on the other hand?

"Short sighted" is the right description. You can't wait for oil to be $100/bbl before tapping additional resources! That's what got us into the mess in 2008.