500 Divided in Half at Trenton Hearing
Last Wednesday hundreds showed up, on each side, against fracking and for it. Frack Action, Sierra Club Mid-Atlantic Chapter, NYH20, Energy Justice, Josh Fox, these were just a fraction of the groups rallying outside of the firehouse where the public hearing was. Outside a large crowd chanted "No Water for Gas! No Water for Gas!" Inside, at least a couple hundred people wearing dark green hats, matching shirts, and signs that said, "I'm for Safe Drilling," or "Protect our Property Rights," waited, seated. The hearing was about the Delaware River, which is shared by New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Delaware, whether or not Fracking should occur near it, and if filtered Fracking Fluid should be released into it. The New York representatives of the Delaware River Basin Commission didn't show because of the lack of state budget. Activists, showed.
Although the hundreds of people standing in the margin of the room were against Fracking, they were asked to leave after ten minutes of pouring in with their huge signs of water, rivers and anti-Fracking messages, because of fire code restraints. This decision itself was protested immediately by the water activists in the room, by calling to adjourn and reschedule the hearing in a bigger room. The protesters surrendered to be rotated in and our of the hearing every thirty minutes in a five hour period.
If hearts were swayed towards the Blue direction amongst the Green Hatted people, we don't know, but surely they have been lied to by the gas companies and their economic situation exploited by large offers of money. Says Broome County, New York resident, Diane Macinnes, "I understand that people think they're going to get a lot of money from this but... even the police that were here right now say, 'Are you kidding? This is going to bring in a lot of emergency situations and crime.'" This is up the ally of other arguments by environmentalists that say Fracking is going to reduce the value of land where these people are being taken advantage of.
I WANT TO TALK TO SAMPSON
Following a small rally at Senator Sampson's (D-Brooklyn) office in Canarsie, and a lobby with a partner of his that previous Monday, tension gravitates towards Sampson who has not agreed to the last bill on Fracking in session, the Thompson Bill, an admittedly weak bill that is our last hope at stopping Fracking from taking effect in New York state until June 1st, 2011. Sampson's vote can tip the scale in Water's favor. Call Sampson now and if you can take the extra step, write him a letter:
District Office:
1222 East 96th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11236
Tel: (718) 649-7653
Albany Office:
409 Legislative Office Building
Albany, NY 12247
Tel: (518) 455-2788
Sample call:
"I have a message for Senator Sampson. My name is ______ and I live at ______. Tell him to vote for the Thompson Moratorium on Hydro-Fracking. The gas companies have lied to the people they sold leases to and Natural Gas is not a transitional fuel. Fracking is a disaster on the scale of the BP Gulf catasreophe. We need a just transition to renewable energy and no more lies and delays. Gas companies giving away money and destroying the land and water is not the way but a green economy is. My number is ______. Thank you. "
See Rally: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmleTOslq2U&feature=related
Music Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2L8sJZ58z0o
http://www.strausnews.com/articles/2010/07/17/pike_county_courier/news/1.txt
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