Global Frackdown: Climate Mamas Speak Out on the Dangers of Fracking

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September 22nd is Global Frackdown day. A Day of solidarity with the worldwide movement to raise attention to the inherent dangers posed by fracking. Fracking as a drilling technique that involves the fracturing of rock through the use of high pressure, chemical laced water that is pumped deep under ground, releasing the gas that has been trapped in the rock for millenia. This type of “extreme fossil fuel extraction” is in the same category as tar sands oil extraction and deep sea drilling and is a direct and immediate threat to our drinking water, our health, our communities, our climate and our children’s future.

Every day we are inundated by advertisements on TV, radio and the web from oil and gas companies trying to convince us that fracking is safe, “good” for us and some how “patriotic” as well. Countries around the world, communities across the United States, environmental and business organizations, houses of worship and a wide array of citizens groups are demanding answers and not accepting this well financed PR spin. We need the facts, we need to understand the reality and the truth BEFORE we allow the oil and gas industry to do irreparable damage. This damage is already being wrought in counties, towns, and cities and directly impacts mothers, fathers and children all over the United States and around the world.

Sit down with the kids in your life, grab a cup of coffee, tea or even a glass of wine, relax and take some time to read our blog “carnival” which include some amazing posts by Climate Mamas from around North America, Women Eco-Warriors and GreenMom Carnival friends who are sharing with us their stories and facts on fracking. Learn something today. Take time to do your own research and learn more. Share your knowledge with your family and friends.

We remind our children every day to – STOP, LOOK, and LISTEN; to THINK before they ACT – let’s show them by example we are doing the same. There is no rush to frack, once we go forward it is extremely difficult if not impossible to go back and clean up and repair our air, our water and our health. Please, let’s all work together and STOP companies that are strictly concerned about their stock price or the price of oil, gas or coal from dictating our options or taking away our decisions on the sources of energy we use and would like to have the option to choose. Join us now and dig in or take a quick read; come back later and again and again to hear personal stories, facts and ideas on fracking from amazing Eco-Warriors in Boston, Southern Jersey, Central and Northern New Jersey, Washington DC, Vancouver Canada, Orange County CA, Upstate New York, Illinois, Virgina and Ohio. Have you read or do you have a great post on fracking? Send it to us and we will update the carnival to include it!

Fracking facts: What it is and what we need to worry about

Anna from Green Talk compares fracking for natural gas to “Freddy Krueger” returning to victimize the Earth (if you don’t know “Freddy,” check in with the teenage boys and horror film aficionados in your family!) Anna shares with us a conversation on fracking she had with Climate Mama and new mom Rachel Dawn Davis who helps us “count the ways” fracking is so bad and tells us what we can do to get educated and take action on fracking.

Lori from Groovy Green Livin takes us back to the basics, explaining what fracking is and helps us understand why, if we know fracking is so dangerous, energy companies seem to have the “legal right” to use this dangerous drilling method anyway. Lori also shares a fun video with us, “Your Water’s on Fire Tonight” better know as “The Fracking Song”..You will need some “lighter moments” as you learn more about fracking, so make sure to share this one with the kids in your life.

Leigh at Green4U shares “What the F is Fracking” and “Fracking Facts” with us, again helping us understand what and how fracking works, its effects on people, why it is so bad for the environment and OUR health. As well she shares with us some of the regulations (or lack there of) behind fracking i.e., how and why is fracking happening everywhere, and why, when even industry tells us they need more clear guidelines and regulations in place, this remains so hard to accomplish. Quick fact from Leigh: “In West Virginia they have 17 state inspectors and over 55,000 wells. This translates to a minimum of 9 wells that need to be inspected every day, 365 days a year, holidays and weekends included!”

Diane at Big Green Purse reminds us why we DON’T want fracking anywhere near our water. Diane reports that there have been over 1000 cases of water contamination from fracking. And if this isn’t enough for you to stop and question the “company line that fracking is safe,” Diane also tells us that: “people have been injured [and even killed] by fracking explosions and related accidents; tap water has literally been set on fire; chemicals in fracking fluid cause cancer and; methane (which is natural gas) is one of the most damaging greenhouse gas pollutants, impacting our environment and our climate. Diane gives us some great resources to find out more as well as some ideas on what we can do!

Taking Action

Several US states including New York and New Jersey are poised to take big decisions related to fracking. Ronnie from Econesting and one of the leaders behind Moms Clean Air Force shares 3 really important reasons about why we should NOT allow fracking in New York.

Ronnie reminds us of the fight we are in for our children’s future and how each one of us has a powerful role to play in this fight. Ronnie’s post also includes a video clip from a Jimmy Fallon show that the kids in your life will certainly enjoy – a song, “Don’t Frack My Mother” preformed by Yoko Ono and Sean Lennon, founders of Artists Against Fracking. In a post titled “Freaked about Fracking” Ronnie also shares with us some more of the basic facts behind fracking, the chemicals used in this dangerous process and what we can do to raise attention about the dangers of fracking.

Paige at Spit That Out calls out to us from Pennsylvania, Fracking “Ground Zero” in the east, and home to the Marcellus Shale. Paige reminds us that fossil fuel extraction in the name of “energy independence” is far from the “simple solution” that some politicians and many oil and gas companies would have us believe. Paige gives us some great sources to go to and highlights a wonderful action that took place on September 20th in Philadelphia, the Shale Gas Outrage. (For more pictures from that event, check out our ClimateMama Facebook page.)

Karen from Best of Mother Earth introduces us to one of her “inspirations,” Sandra Steingraber who is often called the “Rachel Carson” of our time. Sandra is a scientist and author, an activist who challenges us as parents to demand that our government put in place policies to ensure the healthy development of our children and the eco-system which we all depend on – mother earth. Sandra has set her sights on fracking, to dispel the myths and help us understand the dangerous ramifications for our health, our water and our plant.

New mom and “fractivist” Rachel Dawn Davis shared her story in a compelling and powerful piece on ClimateMama. Learn what she is doing to fight for her newborn’s future and why we should all be doing the same. While you are exploring posts on ClimateMama, make sure to check out a Father’s day message on fracking from a Dad in Ohio, another “ground zero” on fracking.

Desiree from “GreenMomster” shares two posts with us, the first Join the Frack Attack Rally, gives us some more information on why we need to work together to stop fracking and helps us understand what compelled Desiree to plan a family trip to Washington, DC for a Fracking Rally. Desiree tells us that she firmly believes in the old adage about the uselessness of closing the barn door after the horse is gone; aka the time to act is now! Desiree’s follow up post shares photo’s of the Rally with us and explains why, even though it meant “getting out of their comfort zone” attending the Frack Attack Rally was an important and worthwhile day for her family!

The Future We Want?

In June 2012 the world came together in Rio, Brazil to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the first Earth Summit. The verdict is still out on the outcome of this event, but the question asked to attendees and the world was “What is the Future We Want?”

Mary from In Women We Trust reminding us that: “Fracking, oil and gas extraction, ocean drilling… are all patches to resolve our energy needs. They are funded because that’s where the money is and the infrastructure. Isn’t it time that we put our money into the infrastructure where the future lives — in safe, clean, passive, and renewable energy?” In Women We Trust always helps us look at the facts at the point of convergence of key economic stakeholders, women, business and sustainable practices. Mary continually reminding us of the huge clout and power that women have. On fracking and our need for a clean energy future it’s high time we did more then simply “flex our collective muscles”…

Amber from Strocel.com reminds us that “natural gas” isn’t all that “natural” after all, regardless of how it is extracted. In fact “natural gas” is just another name for methane, a potent greenhouse gas that has the potential to hasten our ride to the end of the “climate change” road….Amber helps us understand the importance of “climate neutral” sources of energy and why we should think of where the power comes from when we turn on the lights in our home, cook food and how conserving and reducing our energy use generally are important family “tools” in the fight against climate change.

Some of these posts have been written in the past few weeks and months, others over the past few years which reminds us that this is NOT a new issue, yet it is one that has been flying “under the radar” for far too long. Help us share the facts by sharing this post and the posts of all these amazing Climate Mamas with your friends, family and colleagues.

I attended the Shale Gas Outrage in Philadelphia on September 20th, and on September 19th joined New Jersey elected officials and representatives from various environmental organizations for a walk along a gas pipeline route. I have found that for me, the most compelling reasons to act and to act out are often when I hear directly from effected people and see the damage that fracking and its infrastructure can cause to our health, or environment, our climate and our planet.

As Climate Mamas and Papas we need to use our voices, our networks and our communities. We have no hope of competing “head to head” against the money that oil and gas companies can use to buy ads and try to “sell us” on the “virtues” of natural gas. Our hope lies in the facts and our love and our desire for a positive future for ourselves and our children. We need to take a “deep breath” and recognize that we are in this fight for the long haul. Our time is now. Our futures demand it and Mother Earth is repeatedly and patiently sending us an S.O.S!

Make sure to check the Global Frackdown site for an event near you. Check in regularly with ClimateMama for fracking updates. FYI, Monday, September 24th is the final day that Governor Christie of New Jersey has to either sign into law or veto the NJ legislature’s bi-partisan bill to ban fracking wastewater from New Jersey. This “just in” 2pm ET 9/21/12: Governor Christie vetoed the fracking waste bill…he said it was “unconstitutional to limit out of state fracking waste from entering New Jersey.”

Yours,

Climate Mama