[GA, FAILED] Repeal: Restrictions on Hydraulic Fracturing [Complete]

[TlomzKrano]

Category: Repeal
Target: GA #417
Proposed by: Imperium Anglorum
Onsite Topic

General Assembly Resolution #417 “Restrictions on Hydraulic Fracturing” (Category: Environmental; Industry Affected: All Businesses) shall be struck out and rendered null and void.

The General Assembly,

Believing that:

a. it is not fracking, but rather, the improper disposal of well fluids, which leads to groundwater contamination and induced seismic activity, something which intuitively makes sense, since near-impermeable rocks thousands of metres below the surface have little ability to change surface-level groundwater compositions and large underground disposals of fluids can change geological conditions, respectively, and

b. binding international law should regulate the proximate cause of harms, rather than cast about wildly for actions to prohibit, thereby creating unintended consequences,

Concerned that this resolution fails to regulate well fluid disposal directly, but rather, seeks to prohibit in many areas, hydraulic fracturing, making it extremely difficult for society to achieve compelling public policy interests such as:

a. providing well-paying jobs to national citizens, helping them earn income to feed their families, invest in their children, save for their retirements, and make capital investments, building a more dynamic and prosperous economy as a whole,

b. self-sufficiency in fuel production, thereby preventing a society from having to rely on possibly unscrupulous, exploitative, oppressive, or hostile foreign actors to provide vital fuels that would require them to be complicit in morally repugnant activities,

c. production of natural resources for the benefit of tax revenues that can then be used to vital development investments to build infrastructure, highways, railroads, public housing, schools, etc., benefiting a whole society's quality of life and wealth, and

d. development of technologies (i) vital to natural gas extraction to bridge from more pollutive fossil fuels towards future renewable energy sources and (ii) lower natural gas prices relative to other fossil fuels, producing economic incentives towards fully mature and comparatively cleaner energy sources, thereby helping to mitigate the existential threat of carbon dioxide-driven climate change,

Hereby repeals GA c. 417 "Restrictions on Hydraulic Fracturing".

Voting Instructions:

• Vote For if you want the Delegate to vote For the resolution.
• Vote Against if you want the Delegate to vote Against the resolution.
• Vote Abstain if you want the Delegate to abstain from voting on this resolution.
• Vote Present if you are personally abstaining from this vote.

Detailed opinions with your vote are appreciated and encouraged!

Spoiler: Regional Vote

[wavote=the_north_pacific,ga]2017_12_02_repeal_restrictions_on_hydraulic_fracturing[/wavote]

Spoiler: World Vote

[wavote=world,ga]2017_12_02_repeal_restrictions_on_hydraulic_fracturing[/wavote]

 

[TlomzKrano]

Restrictions on Hydraulic Fracturing, though well-meaning, fails to actually address the primary concerns raised about hydraulic fracturing operations. Rather than specifically address the causes of any environmental harm that may be caused by operations, such as proper disposal of well fluids, it vaguely attempts to restrict where hydraulic fracturing operations can take place. The ministry believes that to be effective a resolution which governs hydraulic fracturing, said resolution should address these concerns specifically. Restrictions on Hydraulic Fracturing can also have a detrimental effect on local and national economies that are reliant on the fuel obtained during the process. Of which said resolution introduces restrictions on its use as opposed to regulating its practices.

For these reasons, the Ministry of World Assembly Affairs recommends a vote FOR this resolution.

 

[BMWSurfer]

For.

 

[TlomzKrano]

For....

 

[Zyvetskistaahn]

Against

 

[Clean Land]

Against

 

[Drasnia]

For

 

[RKO]

Against

 

[Concordia]

Against

 

[Pallaith]

Would anyone care to explain why they voted the way they did (except Zyvet, we all know why you voted against )?

 

[Drasnia]

Would anyone care to explain why they voted the way they did (except Zyvet, we all know why you voted against )?

I voted for because I didn't believe the original was an international issue. As it has passed and we're now voting on the repeal, I'm for the repeal in order to get it back to an internal matter.

 

[Clean Land]

I voted against because I do not believe in Hydraulic Fracturing being anything but an attempt to extract and use even more non-renewable resources that should stay where they are, and because I believe that the money spent on Hydraulic Fracturing would be better spent elsewhere.
Additionally, most of the alleged benefits of Hydraulic Fracturing could be reached by other means. Additionally, the avaliability of Hydraulic Fracturing gives people less, not more incentives to switch to better alternatives, delaying progress.
Nothing in the resolution proposed to repeal prohibits a resolution about well fluids. And environmentally damaging processes always have international scope. The environment does not stop at the borders.

 

[Deropia]

For. Some of the environmental concerns in the target resolution have been misstated. Rather than restrict the use of hydraulic fracturing it should have dealt with ways to minimize its impact without potentially harming national economies and energy production.

 

[Darcania]

For.

 

[Atlae]

Opinion: Against.

I was for the resolution from the beginning, so by default I'm opposing the repeal.

 

[TlomzKrano]

Opinion: Against.

I was for the resolution from the beginning, so by default I'm opposing the repeal.

Do you mind if I offer my opinion as displayed by IA?

This target resolution does nothing to currently quell the negatives of fracking. However if this repeal succeeds there is a replacement of a similar bill that would actually limit the negatives of water consumption and disposal that fracking performs. That is part of the reason I am for the repeal. I wish to see the best for the environment, and the current resolution that has passed does not do much to help that cause.

 

[BMWSurfer]

I voted for because I voted against the ban, because I think that a ban is too far. Fracking isn’t all that bad in my opinion, since it brings jobs and new money into the economy.

 

[TlomzKrano]

I voted against because I do not believe in Hydraulic Fracturing being anything but an attempt to extract and use even more non-renewable resources that should stay where they are, and because I believe that the money spent on Hydraulic Fracturing would be better spent elsewhere.
Additionally, most of the alleged benefits of Hydraulic Fracturing could be reached by other means. Additionally, the avaliability of Hydraulic Fracturing gives people less, not more incentives to switch to better alternatives, delaying progress.
Nothing in the resolution proposed to repeal prohibits a resolution about well fluids. And environmentally damaging processes always have international scope. The environment does not stop at the borders.

I see your concerns with the environmental aspects of this proposal and I understand and agree to a certain regard. However I chose to support this repeal because the current resolution does little to nothing to prevent the negatives of fracking. That's why I hope this repeals goes through since IA appears to be ready to draft a replacement that actually addresses the problems of fracking.

 

[Rocketdog]

For

 

[Atlae]

Opinion: Against.

I was for the resolution from the beginning, so by default I'm opposing the repeal.

Do you mind if I offer my opinion as displayed by IA?

This target resolution does nothing to currently quell the negatives of fracking. However if this repeal succeeds there is a replacement of a similar bill that would actually limit the negatives of water consumption and disposal that fracking performs. That is part of the reason I am for the repeal. I wish to see the best for the environment, and the current resolution that has passed does not do much to help that cause.

Do you have a link to a draft replacement?

I do disagree with you on whether it does quell the negatives of fracking. Yes, the disposal of wastewater is at fault here. But the resolution here, in my opinion, mitigates this by prohibiting the practice of fracking in areas where the negatives of incorrect disposal would be most unadvised.

 

[Owenstacey]

For

 

[TlomzKrano]

Opinion: Against.

I was for the resolution from the beginning, so by default I'm opposing the repeal.

Do you mind if I offer my opinion as displayed by IA?

This target resolution does nothing to currently quell the negatives of fracking. However if this repeal succeeds there is a replacement of a similar bill that would actually limit the negatives of water consumption and disposal that fracking performs. That is part of the reason I am for the repeal. I wish to see the best for the environment, and the current resolution that has passed does not do much to help that cause.

Do you have a link to a draft replacement?

I do disagree with you on whether it does quell the negatives of fracking. Yes, the disposal of wastewater is at fault here. But the resolution here, in my opinion, mitigates this by prohibiting the practice of fracking in areas where the negatives of incorrect disposal would be most unadvised.

The current replacement will be drafted in WALL via IA and others. If you support a repeal and it passes you could potentially assist.

Also, the problem with letting this bill remains hinders any attempt to continue to help the environment with fracking and water consumption. Besides limiting fracking operations to an unspecific amount of distance from certain locations, which is a very flimsy law to begin with, it does not specifically address water consumption for industry and mining.

 

[Atlae]

Opinion: Against.

I was for the resolution from the beginning, so by default I'm opposing the repeal.

Do you mind if I offer my opinion as displayed by IA?

This target resolution does nothing to currently quell the negatives of fracking. However if this repeal succeeds there is a replacement of a similar bill that would actually limit the negatives of water consumption and disposal that fracking performs. That is part of the reason I am for the repeal. I wish to see the best for the environment, and the current resolution that has passed does not do much to help that cause.

Do you have a link to a draft replacement?

I do disagree with you on whether it does quell the negatives of fracking. Yes, the disposal of wastewater is at fault here. But the resolution here, in my opinion, mitigates this by prohibiting the practice of fracking in areas where the negatives of incorrect disposal would be most unadvised.

The current replacement will be drafted in WALL via IA and others. If you support a repeal and it passes you could potentially assist.

Also, the problem with letting this bill remains hinders any attempt to continue to help the environment with fracking and water consumption. Besides limiting fracking operations to an unspecific amount of distance from certain locations, which is a very flimsy law to begin with, it does not specifically address water consumption for industry and mining.

Does that imply I can’t work on a replacement if I don’t support the repeal?

 

[Concordia]

Would anyone care to explain why they voted the way they did (except Zyvet, we all know why you voted against )?

I already explained in my vote for the original resolution, but I'll repeat it here: fossil fuels are unnecessary. All energy needs can be met with a combination of solar, wind, hydro-electric, tidal, nuclear, geothermal, etc. energy sources. Hydraulic fracturing is just a desperate attempt to extract every last drop of dwindling fossil fuel reserves, as the easily accessible sources are dwindling, and all for the benefit of the ruling class in the fossil fuel industry.

As for the "economic" argument, the problem is many of you are using the capitalist/market definition of "economy": infinite growth; when what we need is a realistic, sustainable economy. Having said that, there are other ways to have an economy, rendering hydraulic fracturing completely useless and unnecessary.

And hydraulic fracturing is not just a national issue; the use of fossil fuels affects the whole planet. I therefore urge everyone to vote against this repeal. The original resolution is progress in the right direction.

 

[Fawkes]

For.

 

[Wilkshire]

Against

 

[Deropia]

Voting on this resolution has ended.

Thanks to those nations who cast their votes. Your participation is a great help to the region.

This topic has been locked and sent to the Archives for safekeeping. If you would like this topic to be re-opened for further discussion, please contact the WA Delegate, a Global Moderator, or an Administrator for assistance. Thank you.