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Gary Stewart
Laguna Beach, California
Why is a West Coast resident writing to the Minot Daily News? My town and multiple neighboring towns are flooding this week partly because of decades of decisions in North Dakota and other oil-producing states to prioritize oil and gas production, resulting in heat-trapping emissions.
The scientific debate about this is settled, other than fine-tuning. North Dakota’s congressional delegation has welcomed EPA changes that will greatly increase methane emissions. The 95% gas capture rate still allows for high-volume flaring of millions of cubic feet of gas every day.
What would your reaction be if the California delegation welcomed legislation that prioritized importation of cut-rate soybeans, corn and wheat? The climate bill is coming due globally, not just in California. Disastrous heat waves, drought and flooding are already impacting North Dakota (Climate Change Resources webpage on North Dakota).
Meanwhile, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory has shown that North Dakota has the technical potential to generate hundreds of times more electricity than it consumes from just solar and wind. The cost-benefit ratio of accelerating climate change, incorporating colossal losses from climate disasters, is super-negative.
Reconsider your glee at a self-destructive increase in methane emissions that largely benefits a small cadre of oil executives. Californians and North Dakotans should be in accord on this.