More Fracking Bull...ishness (A Glowing Report)

Where some observe a plutonium-laced clustermuck and undiagnosed environmental threats in a fox-guarded henhouse, the proprietor of Burgh Diaspora sees "stars aligning for Pittsburgh" with respect to nuclear energy and natural gas extraction from Marcellus Shale.

On the nuclear front, the literal (and developing) meltdown in Japan is described as a double-barreled shot of good news for InsolvenCity and environs. First:

"Apparently, the nuclear disaster in Japan and the unrest in the Middle East trumps the public concern about groundwater contamination from mining shale (particularly the Marcellus Shale) for gas. Geopolitical events are conspiring to push through a favorable policy for hydrofracking"

In other words, people bothered by radioactive milk and radiation-scorched workers might come to see flaming faucets and hydrological uncertainty in a new -- and, for the Marcellus Shale Coalition, more profitable -- light. Sounds plausible (although not necessarily heartening, especially among those who wonder about the long-term value of an industry that appears to subsist primarily on transient employment of imported rigworkers).

There's even a silver uranium lining to the nuclear angle:

"Furthermore, Westinghouse is in a position to learn from Japan and build a much safer reactor.

What? A half-century after the Shippingport plant began to produce nuclear power, the industry might be positioned to introduce safety measures even better than storing still-deadly retired rods in the unprotected attic of a reactor building (while the emergency electrical system operates in the basement -- at least, until it is flooded into uselessness precisely when needed), or failing to have robots available to help determine how the meltdown is progressing inside a containment vessel that could be cracked?

Conclusion?

"The future for energy jobs in Southwestern PA just got a lot brighter. Go ahead and roll the dice on Pittsburgh. It is a strong bet to attract a lot of talent over the next few years."

Brighter? One might even say glowing.

Perhaps the only downside is uncharted risk for water-based life forms. What could go wrong? Our future is apparently so bright, all we need are shades bottled water and a lead shield.

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