Fracking demons sep 22 2012
Over 150 Organizations to Call for Ban on Hydraulic
Fracturing Through the Global Frackdown
September 22 Day of Action Will Unite Stakeholders Around
the Globe to Demand Clean, Sustainable Energy Solutions
WASHINGTON -
September 21 - The global grassroots movement to protect public health and the
environment from the risks associated with hydraulic fracturing (fracking) will
intensify this weekend as concerned citizens around the world come together for
the Global Frackdown. The first coordinated international day of action against
fracking, the Global Frackdown will unite activists on five continents through
over 150 events on September 22 to call for a ban on fracking in their
communities, and to advocate for the development of clean, sustainable energy
solutions. Initiated by Food & Water Watch, over 150 consumer,
environmental and public health organizations including CREDO Action,
Environment America, Democracy for America, Friends of the Earth and 350.org
are expected to participate in the Global Frackdown.
“Fracking and
drilling for oil and gas poses a direct and immediate threat to our drinking
water, our health and our communities,” said Food & Water Watch Executive
Director Wenonah Hauter. “While big oil and gas continues its spin campaign to
obscure the dangers of this toxic, polluting process, people around the world
are taking a stand through the Global Frackdown.”
Worldwide,
opposition to drilling and fracking has escalated dramatically over the past
year, and the oil and gas industry has intensified its public relations
campaign to obscure the dangers of fracking from the public. Earlier this year,
The American Petroleum Institute launched its Vote 4 Energy campaign, an
astroturf effort to promote drilling and fracking during the 2012 election and
promote candidates who support the oil and gas industry’s agenda.
“It should be a
no-brainer—if fracking causes your tap water to light on fire, it should be
banned," said Zack Malitz, campaign manager at CREDO Action. "We're
telling environmental regulators, politicians and governments all around the
world that no community should be sacrificed so that the fossil fuel industry
can make more money. We need to ban fracking now.”
To date, over
270 municipalities in the United States have taken action against fracking, and
Vermont, France and Bulgaria have stopped the process. There is a moratorium on
fracking in the Czech Republic, Romania, the German state of North Rhine
Westphalia, New Jersey and New York. This week, it was also announced that the
oil and gas company OMV would also halt drilling in Austria, due to escalating
public opposition.
"The
events taking place around the world as part of the Global Frackdown prove that
people are tired of the lies from big oil and gas,” said Jim Dean, chair of
Democracy for America. “Time and again, studies prove fracking is unsafe—for
our communities, our families and our country. We've learned our lessons from
Love Canal and the Horizon oil spill—when money is involved, corporations lie
to the people to keep their profits up. It's time to end the lies."
“Fracking
operations are contaminating drinking water sources and making nearby families
sick,” added John Rumpler, senior attorney for Environment America. “This dirty
drilling has to stop.”
Over 150 events
are planned for the Global Frackdown, and each will challenge local decision
makers to oppose fracking. Major actions in the United States include a rally
in the Los Angeles County community of Culver City, which shares part of the
largest urban oil field in the country; a rally and human sign near San
Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge; a rally in Longmont, Colo. to promote a ballot
measure that would make Longmont the first Colorado city to ban fracking;
actions across Ohio, including rallies in Cincinnati and Mansfield; and several
actions in New York where Governor Andrew Cuomo continues to consider opening
up the state to fracking.
Major actions
overseas include a rally on the steps of the European Parliament;
demonstrations in front of Parliament buildings in South Africa, Bulgaria and
the Czech republic; marches in Argentina; grassroots activities in Paris and
the south of France; and screenings of the film Gasland in Spain.
“This past
summer, we’ve gotten one stark reminder after another of the human and economic
costs of a climate system starting to spiral out of control,” said Erich Pica,
president of Friends of the Earth. “Substituting one bad fossil for another
doesn’t solve the climate crisis. But the good news is that communities all
over the world aren’t buying what the oil and gas industry is selling: more
extreme energy fueling more extreme weather. They’re organizing inspiring
actions all over the world to turn up the heat on the fossil fuel industry and
its bought-and-paid-for political cronies.”
An increasingly
controversial form of energy extraction, fracking involves blasting millions of
gallons of water mixed with carcinogenic chemicals underground to release
natural gas and oil from tight rock formations. Drilling and fracking has been
linked to water contamination and climate change, and the process has been
responsible for industrializing rural areas, destroying property values and
undermining local economies.
"Big oil's
plan to frack the world will keep us addicted to fossil fuels at a critical
moment when we need to immediately transition to clean, safe, renewable
energy," concluded Duncan Meisel, anti-fracking campaigner at 350.org.
"This is the world's richest industry, and they're doing all they can to
buy off politicians in order to frack our communities, but this event shows
that the entire world is ready to stand up to stop them."
For a full list
of events and partners, visit www.globalfrackdown.org.
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Food &
Water Watch is a nonprofit consumer organization that works to ensure clean
water and safe food. We challenge the corporate control and abuse of our food
and water resources by empowering people to take action and by transforming the
public consciousness about what we eat and drink.
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