When someone asks you to rely on common sense, they're usually about to make a statement refuted by science. Such is the case with the Dec. 3 letter "Fracking needs utmost scrutiny."
Hydraulic fracturing fluids are not kept secret. Over 32,000 hydraulic fracturing fluid disclosures are available at www.fracfocus.org. New York's proposed regulations would require disclosure equal to the FRAC-ACT, federal legislation long supported by activists.
Activists who oppose fracking in the hope of reducing our carbon impact make an unrealistic leap of logic and don't understand our energy needs. Not fracking means more use of coal, one of the dirtiest sources of energy. Its increasing use in places like China and India led to a 3 percent rise in greenhouse gas emissions this year, according to The New York Times.
Meanwhile, the use of more natural gas here has allowed the United States to reach its lowest level of carbon emissions in over 20 years, placing us at the top of the list of nations reducing their carbon footprints.
John DeMetro
Holland Patent,
Oneida County