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Thom's blog
Aliso Canyon: The Invisible Disaster
 There is a massive methane leak in California that you may not even know about. Since mid-October, a broken pipe located 8,000 feet below ground has been leaking an estimated 50,000 kilograms of methane every hour, but Governor Jerry Brown only declared a state of emergency over that leak last week. The ruptured pipe is located in Porter Ranch, California and the well is owned and operated by the Southern California Gas Company. Despite the warnings of environmental groups about the dangers of methane and concerns about aging infrastructure, it had been over a year since that pipe was tested, and no safety mechanism had ever been installed. According to the attorney for local residents, who have already suffered serious health effects, "The safety valve that should have been at the bottom of the well to prevent [gas] from migrating up is not present in the wells..." In other words, just like the BP blowout in the Gulf of Mexico, SoCal gas could have installed the proper safety mechanism to protect the public, but corporate greed stood in the way of social responsibility. And, just like the Gulf spill, the company has been unable to stop the massive leak ever since because of the depth of the leak and the underlying safety concerns. Currently, that company is building a relief well to stop the blowout, but they estimate that it won't be complete for months. In the meantime, surrounding residents have been evacuated, lawsuits have been filed against the company, and one of the most potent greenhouse gases continues to pour into our environment. In the words of the legendary Erin Brockovich, "The enormity of the Aliso Canyon gas leak cannot be overstated." And, the fact that once again corporate greed has put our nation - and possibly our planet - at risk cannot be ignored. In the short term, we must demand that all available resources are used to stop this leak. In the long term, we need to come together as a nation and stand up to the corporate greed that leaves us all at risk for the next disaster. -Thom (What do you think? Tell us here.) |
Tonight on The Big Picture on RT TV at 7pm and 10pm... Thom's State of the Union (check your local listings for stations or stream at RT or Free Speech TV, and catch past shows on Youtube)
 Be sure to check out our newest video: RESTORATION - narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio & Thom Hartmann, directed by Leila Conners / Visit GreenWorldRising.org to check out all the videos: CARBON, LAST HOURS & GREEN WORLD RISING - narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio & Thom Hartmann, directed by Leila Conners
Need to Know: Thom's 'State of the Union'
Big Picture Politics Panel:
- Gianno Caldwell, Caldwell Strategic Consulting 
- Sarah Badawi, Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC)
- Bryan Pruitt, RedState
Honey, the TPP is No Sweet Deal
- Zahara Heckscher, Writer/Educator/Social Justice Advocate |
Tuesday's Daily Stack 
Hour One: How Obama's Last State Of The Union Could be Different...
Quote: " I believe in freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of though, freedom of the press, freedom of criticism, and freedom of movement..." - Harry Dexter White, "The American Creed", testimony before the House Un-American Activities Committee, August 13, 1948.
Science and green news Greenland's Ice Sheets Are Melting at the Rate of 8,000 Tons Every Second Do you have all the info you need to vote for @BernieSanders? Find it here. |
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Wednesday on The Thom Hartmann Program, 12-3pm ET
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