Saturday, July 9, 2011

Protecting the Animals Means Protecting the Planet

Pennsylvania is very unfortunate, having so much natural gas beneath its ground. Gas and Oil companies from around the country are here, and are turning our state into a toxic wedge of Swiss cheese, and our Governor doesn't even want to tax them for the privilege. Despite these companies repeatedly saying that they expect to be taxed, and factored the costs - much higher costs than our legislators who support a tax are even proposing - into their business plans.

The wildlife, farm animals, and essentially all living creatures within shouting distance of these wells are in grave danger. The dangers of "fracking" (hydraulic fracturing) are well-known, well-documented, and quite real. Do not be fooled by those who say that it's a good thing that PA is the "Saudi Arabia of Natural Gas" and would have you believe there is any safe way to extract the gas. There isn't. Not yet. And until there is a safe way to drill for and extract the gas, we shouldn't do it. It's that simple.

Please be an informed voter. Don't listen to people who stand to gain financially from fracking. Don't listen to people who have a vested interest in appeasing the major corporations who want our natural gas. Listen to the facts, to the people whose tap water is flammable and whose ground water is killing wildlife, livestock, and turning their soil into toxic sludge. Ask the people who have cancer, whose homes are worthless, whose land is unusable, whose lives have been ruined because they rented land to drillers or because they live near drilling sites.

Visit these sites for more information - and get involved. Protest. Write to your legislators (NJ has banned fracking - why can't PA?), join any number of grassroots groups who are fighting this. If you love animals and care about them - and you wouldn't be reading this blog if you didn't - you owe it to them to fight this. It's their earth, too.

Earth Justice

Marcellus Shale Protest


Gasland