What's Fracking?

In this issue of Northern Connection magazine’s “Startingthe Conversation,” I was wondering about your thoughts on the new drilling technology known as fracking.

This conversation seems to have two definite sides since so much money is involved either way.

For more information on the pros, check out www.pioga.org.

For cons, check out www.pennfuture.org.

Also, as I mentioned in the article, Oklahoma (not on a fault line) has started experiencing earthquakes that are registering 3.0 and more with some reaching as high as a 5.0 magnitude. According to an article in the New York Times, the Oklahoma government has just concluded it is due to the fracking: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/22/us/oklahoma-acknowledges-wastewater-from-oil-and-gas-wells-as-major-cause-of-quakes.html?_r=0

In addition, I heard that insurance rates are going up to any homes within a certain radius of the blast zone?

But most importantly, what do you think of fracking? Please feel free to leave comments below or contact me through the magazine!

Vaccinations: a Tough Decision

In the April issue of Northern Connection magazine, I stated the conversation about the tough decision facing young parents in the medical vs. rumor debate and asked what you think about the touch decision itself.

One of the most intriguing facts I found in my research was that parents need to do their research and weigh the odds: "The measles vaccine, for instance, can cause a temporary reduction in platelets (which control bleeding after an injury) in 1 in 30,000 children, but 1 in 2,000 will die if they get measles itself. The DTaP vaccine can cause seizures or a temporary "shocklike" state in 1 in 14,000 people, and acute encephalitis (brain swelling) in 11 in 1 million. But the diseases it prevents -- diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis -- are fatal in 1 in 20 cases, 1 in 10 cases, and 1 in 1,500 cases, respectively."

Here's the rest of the article: http://www.parents.com/health/vaccines/controversy/vaccines-the-reality-behind-the-debate/

Also, here's the link to the CDC site on vaccines: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/

In Starting the Conversation, I mentioned that my theory about the debate is that young parents haven't witnessed the diseases, the effects and the death tolls, but what's your theory? Do you have any advice?

Please leave comments below and let's Continue the Conversation: