What do coho salmon have to do with hydraulic fracturing? It really has to do with where coho salmon swim, spawn and grow—in water—and marijuana growers. California is going through a major drought, which has impacted developing the Monterey Shale. Because of the drought, marijuana growers have been withdrawing water illegally from creeks in Northern California and southern Oregon, where the coho salmon are having a tough time surviving.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Fisheries Service noted that the pot growers not only were stealing water but also clear-cutting forests and building roads that in turn resulted in sediment deposits in the streams, which also hamper the coho salmon.

Perhaps the industry could start a Save the Salmon campaign to reduce water use by illegal marijuana growers. Then there might be more water available in California for hydraulic stimulation.

The oil industry takes a lot of flak over what critics label as subsidies. Other industries—like ethanol and wind energy—get huge subsidies but little criticism from those same critics. As a matter of fact, without those subsidies both ethanol and wind energy would crater.

As comedian Henny Youngman might once have said, “Take my wind energy—please.” That’s what the state governments of Oklahoma, Ohio, Texas and Kansas are saying. Ohio is leading the way. With little fanfare, Ohio Gov. John Kasich signed House Bill 483 on June 16, 2014. The bill included provisions that will require a setback of 343 m (1,125 ft) from the tip of a wind turbine blade to the nearest property line. That effectively shuts down new wind projects in the state.

Senate Bill 310, which also was signed by the Ohio governor, eliminates the in-state requirement for renewable energy. These bills put a major damper on wind energy development.

Oklahoma lawmakers are trying to change the state’s subsidies, but a powerful wind lobby has undermined legislation to change them. On Sept. 23, Texas Comptroller Susan Combs issued a press release, saying, “It’s time for wind energy to stand on its own two feet. Billions of dollars of tax credits and property tax limitations on new generation helped grow the industry, but today these give it an unfair market advantage over other power sources.”

Without subsidies, wind energy is a lot of hot air.

And that brings me to some uplifting news for the oil and gas industry. On Oct. 1, Baker Hughes said it implemented a new policy of disclosing 100% of the chemistry contained within its hydraulic fracturing fluid systems without the use of any trade secret designations. All of the company’s disclosure forms can be found at fracfocus.org.

As Derek Mathieson, Baker Hughes chief strategy officer, said in a press release, “We have a responsibility to provide the public with the information they want and deserve.”

It’s always nice to know the oil and gas industry is the bearer of good news.

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