Isn’t this what the global warming debate is actually all about? – PZ Myers

And this is how I feel about the global warming “debate.” Are human actions accelerating the natural cycles of warming and cooling? I really don’t care. Why we need such an excuse is beyond me. Do you need to see the skid marks in your undies to understand it’s a good idea to wipe your ass? I don’t think so.

On a local level we have the issue of hydrofracking. The Marcellus Shale my house sits on contains “168 trillion to 516 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.” The debate here is whether or not the only currently viable method of extracting that energy reserve, hydrofracking, should be allowed considering the very real concerns for the safety of the drinking water for millions of people.

Now I may be compromised seeing as my family stands to benefit in the form of royalties for the drilling and extraction of the natural gas thousands of feet beneath our, ah, feet, but I think the whole debate is silly and irrational. For my part I’m willing to take less in royalties if it costs these companies more under direct Federal regulation, to safely drill and extract the gas, and decontaminate the water used. Energy Independence isn’t the first thing on that list for nothing.

Fareed Zakaria GPS, featuring Nathan Myhrvold. It’s worth watching, and worth reading the transcript of the segment of the interview not featured in the video.