UT Professor Resigns Over Fracking Conflict of Interest 190
eldavojohn writes "Dr. Charles 'Chip' Groat, lead author of a study claiming there was no link between fracking and water contamination, has resigned at the University of Texas along with Dr. Raymond Orbach, the head of UT's Energy Institute. The reason is that Groat served on the board of a drilling company and received compensation totaling over $1.5 million from that entity over the last five years including time he spent writing the study. After the Public Accountability Initiative gave the UT report a thorough beating for failing to mention this it sparked UT to recommend the report's withdrawal. PAI said the original report was 'based on literature surveys, incident reports and conjecture' and criticized UT's press from downplaying the many caveats. PAI also said conclusions of the original report were 'tentative,' that the press coverage was 'inappropriately selective' and 'seemed to suggest that public concerns were without scientific basis and largely resulted from media bias.' This study was also covered by Slashdot via MSNBC quoting Groat and calling fracking safe in theory but not in practice."
"Fracking Conflict of Interest"? (Score:5, Funny)
No need to cuss.
Re:"Fracking Conflict of Interest"? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:"Fracking Conflict of Interest"? (Score:5, Funny)
Hey, he's been called out as a fracking liar, over his fracking conflict of interest. Which is all the more reprehensible since he's a fracking expert. I mean, if we can't trust the fracking experts, who will we turn to when we need fracking information to make fracking decisions, anyways?
Re:Another instance of... (Score:4, Funny)
Wow, interesting read on Midgely [wikipedia.org]. And if his contributions to the development of TEL and CFCs weren't enough to nominate him for the "bad scientist of the century" award, he should also be nominated for the "Darwin Award of the century"...
In 1940, at the age of 51, Midgley contracted poliomyelitis, which left him severely disabled. This led him to devise an elaborate system of strings and pulleys to help others lift him from bed. This system was the eventual cause of his death when he was accidentally entangled in the ropes of this device and died of strangulation at the age of 55.
Re:Another instance of... (Score:3, Funny)
It's also a stellar way of fracking a water supply that can't be unfracked.
FTFY