First State to Ban FRACKING – Go New Jersey!

Go New Jersey! On June 29th, New Jersey became the first state in the USA to ban “fracking” a process used to extract natural gas which has quickly become extremely controversial. “Fracking” is and will be more and more in the news and we all need to get educated on this subject, talk to the kids in our lives and figure out “what price we are willing to pay” for fossil fuels. We need to start “making noise” and demanding more investment and infrastructure to support renewable forms of energy. As parents, we all want clean air and water for our children and we should demand a clean and renewable future for them to grow up in. We need to be more vocal on energy issues so that processes that remain “secretive and unconventional” like fracking, become more open and clear to all of us before we accept them as “done deals.”

“Today, New Jersey sent a strong message to surrounding states and to the nation that a ban on fracking is necessary to protect public health and preserve our natural resources,” said Senator Bob Gordon (D-Bergen). “Any benefits of gas production simply do not justify the many potential dangers associated with fracking such as pollution of our lakes, streams and drinking water supplies and the release of airborne pollutants. We should not wait until our natural resources are threatened or destroyed to act. The time to ban fracking in New Jersey is now.”

According to Food and Water Watch: “fracking involves injecting water, sand and toxic chemicals deep underground to break up dense rock formations and release natural gas. Opponents of fracking cite the high potential for water and air pollution as a leading reason to ban the practice. Over 1,000 cases of water contamination have been reported near fracking sites. Public opposition to fracking has escalated in recent months, with concerned residents and environmental and consumer advocacy groups campaigning against the practice in New Jersey and the surrounding states, where gas companies have been ramping up plans to drill in the Marcellus Shale, a rock formation which extends up the East Coast. Fracking operations in Pennsylvania alone are expected to create 19 million gallons of wastewater.

While the NJ Senate and Assembly have passed this bill, it needs to be signed by the Governor to become law. Join us in encouraging Gov. Christie to make NJ the first state in the nation to ban the dangerous practice of fracking. Learn more about fracking and how you can sign onto state and national petitions at the Food and Water Watch website.

If you missed our Video Peak of the Week on Fracking, share “What the Frack” now with the kids in your life, an irreverent look at fracking.

At the same time, the NJ legislature is fighting off pressure from the Koch brothers funded group, Americans for Prosperity, as well as oil and gas industry attempts to push back environmental policy in New Jersey – a leading state in the nation supporting renewable energy and fighting global warming pollution. At the end of June, the NJ legislature passed resolutions to keep the state in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a 10 state compact to fight climate change and lower greenhouse gas emissions by setting a cap on power plant emissions. The NJ legislature also passed a resolution which would make it difficult for the Governor to unilaterally remove NJ from RGGI. At the end of May, Governor Christie stated that he was going to pull NJ from RGGI, but offered no concrete reasons or rational for this decision. Governor Christie still states he will veto the recent legislation and pull NJ from RGGI..stay tuned as the “fight for clean energy continues!”

NJ environmental groups, including Food and Water Watch, the Sierra Club and Environment NJ have been working together to grow a coalition and coordinated effort of state wide environmental groups and private citizens that will lobby the legislature and inform all NJ residents of the efforts by private interest groups to threaten environmental policy and clean energy advances in New Jersey that have been years in the making.

This entry was posted in In The News, Politics, Renewable Energy, Take a Stand: Action & Advocacy and tagged , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

3 Responses to First State to Ban FRACKING – Go New Jersey!

  1. It is heartening to see the people of NJ taking a stand like this. What a great example for other states. What is up with your governor?

    • Harriet says:

      Thanks Betsy, Agreed! Unfortunately it seems to me that the Governor in this case doesn’t have his eyes or policies targeted on the state of NJ but rather on a national stage..

  2. Pingback: Fracking: A Clear and Present Danger - Big Green Purse

Leave a Reply to Betsy (Eco-novice) Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *