To the Editor,

Contrary to what Nick Stamatakis asserted in his Oct. 20 column, Gov. Tom… To the Editor,

Contrary to what Nick Stamatakis asserted in his Oct. 20 column, Gov. Tom Corbett’s Marcellus Shale plan is no cause for celebration. Collecting revenue from the gas industry and giving it to affected communities is more than I had ever expected to see from him, but it is far from the best course of action.

Stamatakis was right about one thing: Corbett’s plan was genius. He’s appeasing the industry by letting them take Pennsylvania by storm, as long as they toss some cash our way first. And he’s appeasing citizens by leading them to believe that money can magically dispel the negative effects of drilling. The idea that it’s okay to pollute as long as you pay an adequate monetary sum permeates our society, but it’s completely arbitrary; there’s no exchange  rate in nature between pollution and pennies.

Corbett’s plan is nothing more than paying communities off to put their health at risk. That risk is not worth it, especially for what is only a temporary solution to the energy crisis. When all the wells have been fracked, and whether or not rates of illnesses, cancer and birth defects have risen in the process, we’ll find that our nation’s appetite for energy has still not been permanently satiated. A true cause for celebration would be to start pursuing sustainable, renewable, permanent energy sources now, not putting our health and our ecosystem’s health at risk for nothing but a quick fix with negative side effects.

Sincerely,

Rebecca Schroeder

School of Arts & Sciences