Congress Wants Your Public Lands

[KidVermicious]

But there are problems with that, too. First, it's obviously not feasible to block everything off to foot travel only. Also, in all time I've spent on mining lands (current and former), I haven't seen a whole lot of evidence of what I'd call "responsible" mining. Not that people may not have tried, but toxic runoff, polluted groundwater, and habitat destruction seem to be the norm. Same with logging lands, to a lesser extent. How to do that stuff cleanly is the million-dollar question.

Well, modern mines are strip mines and pit mines, for the most part. Pretty hard to do that and not leave an eyesore. But modern mines are much better about keeping their melt-your-face chemicals contained, and even the biggest pit can be covered in topsoil and planted over and in ten years you wouldn't even know it was there. Logging is even greener when they choose to be, helicopter logging and selective harvest leave almost zero impact, a far cry from the clear cutting we're all used to seeing.

What scares the crap out of me is the drilling. There's so much money on the table there and so much political influence being flung around that Big Oil is still getting away with murder. I'm not opposed to drilling on public land, but I want it done cleaner. I wish SUWA and Sierra Club and some of these other far-left green groups would spend a little less time opposing the common user and a little more time being useful.

 

[MtnT4R]

Speaking of melt-your-face chemicals, this is a great example of why I am so wary of mining and drilling, because its caused horrific problems that these companies leave to the state and federal entities to clean up. This was a big issue when I was away at college:

Mine Water Poses Danger of a Toxic Gusher

Everybody made a lot of money in Leadville,” said Ken Olsen, a county commissioner. “They left years ago, and we’ve had to clean up after them ever since.

The Climax mine reopened a few years ago, and I know a few guys who have gone back to work there. They say the contaminated water is so toxic that just sticking your hand in it can kill you.

What's infuriating to me is the fact that given half a chance, these companies will rape our land, take all the profits, and leave us a huge mess that can persist for decades. In the article it states that the feds originally drilled the drainage tunnel in the 1940s, and to this day we still have an environmental disaster in one of the most beautiful parts of Colorado. This story is not unique, and its catastrophes like these that give the hardcore conservationists the ammo they need to wall off public land to everyone because we have demonstrated time and again that we cant hold ourselves accountable.

In my opinion, our economy and people net a far greater benefit from public recreational use of the land, which is far less harmful and enriches our lifestyle compared to walling off areas for privatized energy use.

 

[KidVermicious]

I think gasoline is very lifestyle-enriching.

 

[Mikey01]

Speaking of melt-your-face chemicals, this is a great example of why I am so wary of mining and drilling, because its caused horrific problems that these companies leave to the state and federal entities to clean up. This was a big issue when I was away at college:



Mine Water Poses Danger of a Toxic Gusher







The Climax mine reopened a few years ago, and I know a few guys who have gone back to work there. They say the contaminated water is so toxic that just sticking your hand in it can kill you.



What's infuriating to me is the fact that given half a chance, these companies will rape our land, take all the profits, and leave us a huge mess that can persist for decades. In the article it states that the feds originally drilled the drainage tunnel in the 1940s, and to this day we still have an environmental disaster in one of the most beautiful parts of Colorado. This story is not unique, and its catastrophes like these that give the hardcore conservationists the ammo they need to wall off public land to everyone because we have demonstrated time and again that we cant hold ourselves accountable.



In my opinion, our economy and people net a far greater benefit from public recreational use of the land, which is far less harmful and enriches our lifestyle compared to walling off areas for privatized energy use.

Unfortunately this is the cheapest way to do business, it is changing with fines but the damage is done