Welcome login | signup
Language en es fr
We are the 99 percent

Articles tagged fracking


Capitalism Causes Earthquakes

Posted 10 years ago on July 12, 2013, 12:03 p.m. EST by OccupyWallSt
Tags: fracking, capitalism, earthquakes

One of the biggest firms responsible for the practice of fracking has admitted that their actions caused seismic activity in England.

Fracking involves cracking or fracturing rock, containing trapped shale gas, by using pressurized liquid. Shale gas is an increasingly important energy resource though there have been claims that it is worse for the environment than coal, largely due to the fracking process.

Analysis showed that shortly after hydraulic fracturing began small earthquakes started occurring, and more than 50 were identified, of which 43 were large enough to be located. Most of these earthquakes occurred within a 24 hour period after hydraulic fracturing operations had ceased. There have been previous cases where seismologists have suggested a link between hydraulic fracturing and earthquakes, but data was limited, so drawing a definitive conclusion was not possible for these cases.

Drilling either for fossil fuels or renewable energy exploration may cause earthquakes. Both geophysicists and oilmen agree that natural-gas drilling trigger earthquakes. One oilman stated that "there is not the slightest doubt" that gas production caused the temblors."

A New York Times report confirmed drilling for oil sets off earthquakes and detailed how a drilling project near San Francisco and a similar project in Basel, Switzerland were shut down over concerns they triggered damaging earthquakes. Both diggings involved fracturing hard rock more than two miles deep.

Large earthquakes tend to originate at great depths, breaking rock that far down carries more serious risk. Seismologists have long known that human activities can trigger quakes, but they say the science is not developed enough to say for certain what will or will not set off major tremors.

The time for denial is over. So, how are we going to stop them?

Get organized.

167 Comments

S22: Global Frackdown on Five Continents!

Posted 11 years ago on Sept. 21, 2012, 2:53 p.m. EST by OccupyWallSt
Tags: fracking, environment

Global Frackdown

via GlobalFrackdown.org:

Fracking for oil and gas poses a direct and immediate threat to our drinking water, our health and our communities. But the oil and gas industry is ramping up its PR machine to try and convince the public and decision makers that fracking is safe. It’s time to fight back in our communities with a Global Frackdown!

There is a tremendous amount of organizing going on across the world to protect our water and our communities from fracking.

Together as a movement, in the past year we have:

  • Passed over 200 local measures across the United States to ban fracking (including state-level legislation in Vermont);
  • Stopped fracking in Bulgaria and France;
  • Pushed for moratoriums in multiple regions in Europe;
  • Obtained a moratorium on fracking in South Africa;
  • Defeated state legislation that would have expanded fracking;
  • Prevented plans to open the Delaware River Basin to fracking;
  • Worked to stop pipelines and facilities to export fracked gas from coast to coast.

The Global Frackdown will unite concerned citizens everywhere for a day of action on September 22, 2012 to send a message to elected officials in our communities and across the globe that we want a future fueled by clean, renewable energy, not dirty, polluting fossil fuels.

This Fall as the United States debates its energy future and the oil and gas industry escalates its public relations offensive, it’s critical that our elected officials – some of whom are running scared – hear the truth in a powerful way from their constituents. It’s time to expose the oil and gas industry’s propaganda for what it is. It’s time to hold our elected officials accountable. It’s time for a Global Frackdown!

Participants in the Global Frackdown will be organizing events in their communities to challenge decision makers to oppose fracking, united around a common mission statement calling for a ban on fracking and investment in a clean energy future.

Are you ready for the Frackdown? Sign up to endorse the day of action or join or host and event in your area.

About Fracking

Fracking, technically known as hydraulic fracturing, is a highly water-intensive and relatively new process that injects millions of gallons of water mixed with sand and chemicals thousands of feet beneath the ground to obtain previously hard-to-reach oil and gas deposits. This polluting process is:

  • Endangering our drinking water supplies
  • Polluting our air
  • Releasing dangerous levels of methane, a potent greenhouse gas that can migrate into nearby wells, causing home explosions
  • Negatively impacting agricultural communities
  • Perpetuating our addiction to fossil fuels

Learn more about the risks fracking imposes on our water, air and communities.

109 Comments

NYC Activists Give Spectra An Unwelcoming Party

Posted 11 years ago on Aug. 14, 2012, 12:13 p.m. EST by OccupyWallSt
Tags: fracking, environmentalism, spectra, occupy the pipeline, nyc, direct action

A woman hold a stop Spectra sign in front of an Occupy banner while giving a speech to a crowd

via Occupy the Pipeline. Construction on the Spectra Pipeline is supposed to begin this week; a small group of activists has been on site this morning to keep an eye on the situation. For more information and photos of yesterday's action, check out Occupy the Pipeline!

Yesterday about 150 people showed up to give Spectra Energy a vibrant Un-Welcoming Party to NYC. The Spectra Men were walking the site, pointing and surveying, planning the pipeline construction that could result in 30,000 more cases of lung cancer & thousands of lost lives, homes, and businesses if their pipeline explodes. We think it's not an "if" but a "when;" the inevitability of a terrible accident looms over their public relations campaign claiming an increase of jobs into the area. We don't think that is worth the risk to life their project presents to NYC, not to mention the increased demand for Fracking in Pennsylvania, NJ and NYS switching NYC over to Fracked Gas would create. We are 100% opposed to Hydro-Fracking practices.

We had a visit from the NYPD who told us to take our banner down from between two trees. Official statement from the NYPD from yesterday: "Finally You Guys have a Good Cause." You know something is up when even the thugs at the NYPD realize the very real and present dangers from this pipeline. It endangers them as well, along with the good men and woman at the FDNY. They would be forced to risk their lives to put out the fires from the blast. Exploded pipelines have been known to burn for a week at a time. We don't want to make them suffer to save NYC. This is a preemptive intervention.

Our aim is to save lives. We are willing to put our lives in the way to do so. When the government fails to protect us, we need to take our lives into our own hands. Non-Violent Resistance is one tool we have to use.

4 Comments