Shale gas revolution: dark side of the coin.

[Mnikd]

Well, got absolutely no illusions and gladness about the prospects America will gain if in the nearest future already this country receives world's control over the shale gas exports, getting finally total energy independence. The prospects, frankly, even a bit scares me. Correct me here if I'm wrong, but this country has NEVER in its history been making its living by trading in its resources only. As long as I personally remember myself and remember a country of mine we here have always been buying raw materials what in turn gave us an impulse, a stimulus, to improve and develop from year to year our technologies in for instance the same oil producing. A country that lives by selling its raw natural resources got no such impulses and needs... as a result got weak energy sectors and weak technology progress. Particularly the Middle East today is full of examples on the issue. My say is that trading in raw materials (shale)

 

[flacaltenn]

Well, got absolutely no illusions and gladness about the prospects America will gain if in the nearest future already this country receives world's control over the shale gas exports, getting finally total energy independence. The prospects, frankly, even a bit scares me. Correct me here if I'm wrong, but this country has NEVER in its history been making its living by trading in its resources only. As long as I personally remember myself and remember a country of mine we here have always been buying raw materials what in turn gave us an impulse, a stimulus, to improve and develop from year to year our technologies in for instance the same oil producing. A country that lives by selling its raw natural resources got no such impulses and needs... as a result got weak energy sectors and weak technology progress. Particularly the Middle East today is full of examples on the issue. My say is that trading in raw materials (shale)

You probably have a point about hanging the economy on selling nat. resources. But I want to know --- which MidEast Shiek PAID YOU to post this??

Welcome to USMBoard.

Nat gas is not EASILY exportable. It's expensive to compress and ship as LNGas. That's why the emphasis is on domestic pipelines and storage.

 

[RGR]

Well, got absolutely no illusions and gladness about the prospects America will gain if in the nearest future already this country receives world's control over the shale gas exports, getting finally total energy independence. The prospects, frankly, even a bit scares me. Correct me here if I'm wrong, but this country has NEVER in its history been making its living by trading in its resources only. As long as I personally remember myself and remember a country of mine we here have always been buying raw materials what in turn gave us an impulse, a stimulus, to improve and develop from year to year our technologies in for instance the same oil producing. A country that lives by selling its raw natural resources got no such impulses and needs... as a result got weak energy sectors and weak technology progress. Particularly the Middle East today is full of examples on the issue. My say is that trading in raw materials (shale)

You seem a wee bit disjointed in your writing? Is English your first language and you are learning as you go??

Anyway, the good news with America is that it never really suffered from the "resource curse" (which is what I think you are trying to describe) the same way the Middle East, Venezuela , or even Russia has.

Sure, we sell resources. Do you know how much COAL we are shipping overseas right now? The numbers have been skyrocketing as of late. We haven't even really gotten started with the LNG exports yet, but if we do, it really is all that bad of a deal.