Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, is the process of extracting natural gas by fracturing underground rock formations through a highly pressurized and toxic cocktail of water, diesel fuel, benzene, hydrochloric acid, ethylene glycol and many many more nefarious substances (see Earthworks for more details). Mother Nature Network provides an easy to understand infographic of the fracking process.
While rising natural gas prices buoyed by increased demand for alternatives to coal and oil explain part of a recent scramble by energy companies to extend frack operations throughout many corners of the U.S. and elsewhere, legislation passed by Congress back in 2005 has effectively meant that energy companies can frack without having to comply with even the most basic environmental standards, most notably those falling under the Safe Drinking Water Act. One estimate cites that "hydraulic fracturing is now used in about 90 percent of US gas and oil wells."
Indeed, the human and environment casualties of fracking, as documented by Josh Fox in his ground breaking hit documentary entitled "Gasland", include heavily toxic and highly flammable drinking water and rivers. These human and environmental costs mean that it's time for us to start pushing and signing petitions to ensure that, at the very least, fracking operations cease until measures of sanity are introduced to the regulatory frameworks for ensuring that gas mining is safe for humanity and the environment. To this end, the list below contains some crucial petitions for you to sign and do your part for safeguarding America's waters from fracking fluids and gas.
Please, additional petition suggests are welcomed.
Stop fracking our lands and fracking up our water!
Care2 petition: Stop All U.S. unregulated natural gas drilling.
Act.ly petition (Twitter account needed): Tell Governor Paterson (NY) to ban gas drilling the Catskill and Delaware watershed.
Sierra Club petition: Stop drilling in National Parks.
Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter petition: Protect New York from horizontal hydrofracking.
Care2 petition: Ban natural gas drilling in New York State.
New York Working Families: Tell state Senators to pass a moratorium on hydrofracking.
Put an end to energy industry privilege!
Act.ly petition (Twitter account needed): Tell Lisa P. Jackson to ensure that Halliburton et al. is not represented on fracking study.
Natural Resources Defense Council: Tell Congress to close the "Halliburton Loophole".
Stop prioritizing trade secrets over human rights and health!
Change.org petition: Tell Halliburton to reveal its fracking chemicals to the public.
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