Fracking: aka hydraulic fracturing of the earth’s crust to extract gas and oil. Aka “unconventional gas drilling,” the industry’s preferred PR term. Unconventional — sounds intriguing, even a little adventurous, no?
Image: John Cole
But:
“Not infrequently I wake up in middle of the night in despair. What do I despair about? That we’re going to drill, baby, drill, and we’re going to poke a million more holes in the surface of the earth over the next 10 years, and we’re going to produce as much fossil fuel as we possibly can, and we’re going to accelerate climate change, and my kids will not, cannot be prepared for what that means.”
– Professor Anthony Ingraffea, Cornell University. Follow his life, research, and transition from industry consultant to outspoken critic, here in Bold Scientists. Scroll down to chapter 10, The unsolved problem.
Under siege by mounting evidence of the immense harm they do, the industry and its government enablers now sell fracking as a “benign bridge fuel” to future renewables.
That isn’t PR, its BS. Check this out: ‘Benign’ Fossil Fuels? No Such Thing.
And this: Drilling-Induced ‘Frackquakes’ Threaten Millions Across Central US.
In the US, the scourge of fracking has already invaded far and wide, so people have to fight an uphill battle against huge forces to stop it.
In Ontario, Canada, this is not the case. Not yet. People here still have a chance to block the nightmare before it takes hold. To that end:
Ban fracking in Ontario, a petition now circulating on Change.org. True, legions of petitions come and go on the internet, and many of them have limited impact. On the other hand, silence implies consent. So what are you going to do? The petition is here.
A few resources:
- Gasland & Gasland 2. Excellent documentaries on fracking and resistance.
- Detailed report on dangers, myths, perpetrators, and government enablers, from the reliable, informative DeSmogBlog.
- Grassroots resistance to fracking in New Brunswick, Canada.
Michael Riordon 