"You just don't care about the economy." It's something I often hear when people learn I am opposed to fracking. Of course, there's no truth to that. However, when a process such as hydraulic fracturing is clearly causing so much environmental chaos, my priorities change.
"What about all the jobs that would be lost if fracking is outlawed?"
My question would be, "What about all the jobs that would be lost if Monsanto goes bankrupt?" I guess it would be a problem for many, but the reverse, in both cases, is that fracking (and Monsanto's assault on our food supply) is far more problematic for far more people. So, I'm not anti-people. I just really believe fracking is dangerous and hazardous to both the health of the earth and the health of its people.
I like the way Miranda Carter, National Online Campaign Manager for Food & Water Watch, puts it in a recent email:
Fracking is a real wolf in sheep's clothing. Politicians, from state governors all the way up to the White House, say that drilling for natural gas is the answer to our energy woes.
But at what cost??
Fracking has been proven to pollute our air and water and poison entire communities. There is much speculation that fracking is the cause of countless earthquakes across the country. And why wouldn't it? Think about it. This process of extracting oil and gas by fracturing layers and layers of rocks deep within the ground using a high-pressure blast of toxic chemicals, outrageous amounts of water, and sand surely must affect the stability of the earth in one way or another.
According to Carter, the dangers are proven:
- Fracking pollutes -- a lot! Aside from using millions of gallons of water (even in areas where there is a serious water shortage), fracking releases toxic fumes and leaves behind pools of radioactive wastewater that can't be transported or disposed of safely. You'd think I could stop right here. Isn't this bad enough?
- Fracking hurts communities. The stories are pouring in. Families are getting sick. Water is undrinkable/unusable. I personally know people who have been adversely affected by these
fumes. I know adults who developed asthma after fracking began close to
their homes. I know people who struggle with infertility in areas where
they're surrounded by fracking. Coincidence? Not according to a lot of
the research.
- Fracking affects everyone, no matter how far away you are from the sites. As you know, water isn't stagnate. It travels and this contaminated water and fracking waste are posing a serious threat to our increasingly limited supply of fresh water on earth. Air pollution affects us all as well.
Let's face it. The people who "benefit" from hydraulic fracturing are the big oil and gas companies that are doing whatever it takes to procure and expand their right to frack. And they're doing it without regard to the damage they are causing in the process. Damage to the earth, damage to communities, and damage to the health of those they are sending out to work at the wells. Yes, they're providing paychecks to these people, but again I ask, at what cost?
So what can we do? Let's start off by letting our voices be heard. Our elected officials have to start paying attention as more and more of us demand a ban on fracking. I'm asking you to join me in letting congress know that you stand behind this ban. Click here to sign a letter to your members of congress.
As a grandmother, I don't want to look my grandchildren in the eyes someday and answer the question, "Why didn't you do something, Grandma?" Do you?
Let's take action today!
There are certain things I hate... things I believe are going to end up killing all of us if we don't do something about them. If you've been following GG for very long, you know I hate GMOs and companies like Monsanto that are producing and protecting them.
I also hate fracking. There are many reasons, but I thought I'd just share 5 of them today. These five facts are from Food and Water Watch.
- Water usage. As you know, many parts of the country are suffering from drought. Water shortages are a major problem in the US. So why are we allowing the hydraulic fracturing companies to continue to use millions of gallons of water per well, thereby depleting the earth of a valuable resource. Did you know that the fracking companies are even responsible for drying up streams in some parts of the country? It's inconceivable to me.
- Dangerous secrets. The chemicals used in fracking fluid are unknown to the majority of us. After all, they certainly wouldn't want to expose their "trade secret." Ridiculous! "Independent analysts have identified numerous cancer-causing chemicals that have been used in fracking fluid, and over a hundred that disrupt the endocrine system." ~ www.foodandwaterwatch.org
- Environmental law misuse. Big Oil & Gas is exempt from vital statutes in all the major environmental laws. Exempt! They don't have to play by the rules of the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Clean Water Act, or the Clean Air Act. And that, quite honestly, pisses me off.
- Flammable water. Yes, it is true. Despite the reports to the contrary, water affected by hydraulic fracturing is indeed flammable. Fracking shatters the rocks where the oil and gas is trapped, releasing hydrocarbon gases which can leak into aquifers and household water wells. Not only is it flammable, thus explosive, it's also making people really, really sick.
- The fracking race. The companies are in hot competition with each other. They're also racing to accomplish as much fracking as they can before the vast majority of the public comes to realize the danger involved. The companies are pushing to frack in every available nook and cranny -- including national parks and maybe even in your neighborhood!
For the sake of our children's and grandchildren's health and future, we have to speak up and take a stand against fracking. That's what I'm doing. Will you join me?
What can you do? Make your voice heard! Attend town meetings. Write/call your representatives in Washington. Write/call the president. And share this post. Informed people are dangerous people! They're the very ones who can, and will, instigate change. Let's do it!
Mention certain companies around me and it's guaranteed to get my blood boiling. Monsanto. Neville Chemical. Marcellus Shale. Yeah, just typing their names has me fuming. But today, I just want to focus on one of them. Marcellus Shale. To say I hate this company is an understatement. Oh, sure, they've brought a lot of temporary jobs to the region. Sure, they're temporarily boosting the local economy. But my question is: At what cost??
Many supporters of fracking won't admit the dangers until it affects their health or the health of one of their children or grandchildren. And even then, they're liking to bury their head in the sand (a dangerous place to be if there's fracking nearby). I've spent part of my evening arguing this with a trusted friend. He and I are on opposite sides of this debate, as are many of my friends. But that doesn't make me feel less strongly about it. As a matter of fact, it propels me to be more vocal than ever.
I believe (and yes, it is my opinion) that fracking is environmentally irresponsible. But I'm not even going to argue that right now. The point of this post is to present what many researchers believe to be the health risks associated with fracking. These health risks only started rising to the surface within the last couple of years, so the impact is still unknown. But the findings so far are frightening. Terrifying, in fact.
There are 632 chemicals involved in the hydraulic fracturing process. Of those, approximately 475 are known to be hazardous to our health, affecting our skin and eyes, as well as our respiratory and gastrointestinal systems. The nervous, immune, and cardiovascular systems can be affected by 250 - 315 of the chemicals, as can the kidneys and brains. The endocrine system is at risk, as well. Based on the research, cancer and mutations are also possibilities.[Human and Ecological Risk Assessment, 2011]
Even at low levels, exposure to these chemicals puts all of us at risk for devastating short- and long-term health problems. It will be years before we truly know the true effects.
Researchers at the Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado, conducted their own studies. Keep in mind, they had nothing to gain. Marcellus Shale, and the other fracking companies who claim there is no risk, have everything to gain with their claims. This is always an issue to remember when looking at the results of studies. Ask yourself: Who is funding the research?
The conclusions drawn by the above studies in Colorado were simply this: the closer you live to drilling sites, the more likely you are to be sickened by them. Makes sense, right? The problem is, even if you know it's the fracking that's making your family sick, you simply can't afford lawyers who can stand up to the corporate lawyers waging war for the industry. You lose. Period.
But what about all the studies stating that fracking is completely safe and presents no risk to our health? Well, consider this: according to the journal, Environmental Health Perspectives, there is not one single health expert -- not one -- in the various commissions and boards in the state and federal levels. The committees were developed with public health in mind, yet none of the 52 people are qualified to evaluate health risks in the Marcellus shale region.
Now, isn't that enough to make you sick?!
Hey, maybe I'm wrong. Maybe fracking is God's gift to an economically depressed region. Or maybe it's the devil's means for eliminating more of God's good people. Death by fracking. It makes you wonder.
Sharing my rage and concern,
Don't take my word for it. Check out these links:
Fracking Ourselves to Death in Pennsylvania
Washington County Pennsylvania Fracking
Living with Fracking in Washington, PA -- Moms Matter 2012
