Josh Fox's "The Sky Is Pink"...Let's End Debate and Ban FRACKING

THE SKY IS PINK from JFOX on Vimeo.

Those who regularly read this blog know I am against fracking, are aware of my efforts to get Steve Veglianti and the Town Board to BAN FRACKING in the geographical/political footprint of Fallsburg.  Further, I support a state wide ban on fracking, and know the best way to ban fracking is not at the state level, but at the local level, with individual town, villages and cities banning fracking by changing their zoning laws to make fracking an unacceptable land use...such a move is not trying to regulate the industry, but instead uses a political subdivision to (as is allowed by state and federal law) to regulate land use.

Problem is, the (un)Natural Gas industry keeps everyone including our elected officials on the sidelines through multimillion dollar propaganda campaigns, and false counter claims in the media, thus creating what should be considered as FALSE DEBATE...this is a trick used by industry to keep concerned citizens on the sidelines.  After all, if the facts are in dispute, if their is a debate, people tend to wait for the debate to be resolved, and while this supposed debate (FALSE DEBATE) ensues, the (un) Natural Gas industry in this case pushes government to have as few regulations of their industry as they can get.

Enter Josh Fox, and  his newest video on fracking, "The Sky is Pink".  Every New Yorker needs to watch this movie, and study the documents (links provided) so that we can end the FALSE DEBATE, and move to an immediate ban of fracking in every community here in New York.

Earlier this year, the Town of Fallsburg Supervisor, and all of our town board members stated that they were opposed to fracking.  Now, some three months later, we are still waiting for the promised "Public Informational Meeting" and still waiting for them to PASS A BAN ON FRACKING.  If you live in the geographical footprint of Fallsburg, please contact your board members, the town supervisor, and demand that a ban on fracking be passed into law now, before our window of opportunity to protect our community is missed...which will happens once the state APPROVES FRACKING REGULATIONS.

The Sky is Pink  Document Cache

Industry Documents
Affirming GASLAND- Our responses to industry charges against GASLAND
gaslandthemovie.com/whats-fracking/affirming-gasland
1trickpony.cachefly.net/gas/pdf/Affirming_Gasland_Sept_2010.pdf
Flaming Faucets
foxnews.com/story/0,2933,509857,00.html
hcn.org/blogs/goat/flaming-water/
cbsnews.com/2100-201_162-4879509.html
planetsave.com/2009/03/20/flammable-water-pours-from-faucets-in-colorado-home/
propublica.org/series/fracking
ecopolitology.org/2009/03/19/leaking-gas-well-causes-flammable-water-to-pour-from-faucets-in-colorado-home-video/
Well Failures/Gas Leaks
youtube.com/watch?v=fjaRwh4xRiM&feature=player_embedded
gasdrillinginbalcombe.wordpress.com/2012/03/14/44-of-wells-leaking-at-australian-gas-field/
nytimes.com/1992/05/03/us/abandoned-oil-and-gas-wells-become-pollution-portals.html?src=pm
bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-17656307
frack-off.org.uk/gas-wells-leaking/
telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/energy/oilandgas/9168645/Total-admits-it-could-take-six-months-to-stop-gas-leak.html
Well Construction/Integrity
slb.com/~/media/Files/resources/oilfield_review/ors03/aut03/p62_76.ashx
boemre.gov/tarprojects/008/008DE.pdf
naturalgaswatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/well_integrity_failure_presentation.pdf
ptil.no/news/new-report-well-integrity-challenges-on-the-norwegian-shelf-article2762-79.html
spe.org/ejournals/jsp/journalapp.jsp?pageType=Preview&jid=EDC&mid=SPE-106817-PA
Climate Change
youtube.com/watch?v=XXyTpY0NCp0
Breast Cancer
texassharon.com/2011/09/02/big-gas-mafia-irony-burnsta-tas/
dentonrc.com/local-news/special-projects/gas-well-drilling-headlines/20110831-breast-cancer-rate-climbs-up.ece
damascuscitizensforsustainability.org/2011/09/breast-cancer-rates-jump-in-the-barnett-shale/
dallasdrilling.wordpress.com/2011/09/01/breast-cancer-rates-jump-in-the-barnett-shale/
abcalliance.org/?p=1725
nbc11news.com/home/headlines/85259117.html
Pittsburgh Fracking Ban
groundswell.gs/2011/10/28/city-councilman-doug-shields-on-the-success-of-pittsburghs-rights-based-fracking-ban/
Water Contamination
propublica.org/article/colorado-study-links-methane-in-water-drilling-422
bloomberg.com/news/2011-12-08/gas-fracking-chemicals-detected-in-wyoming-aquifer-epa-says.html
pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2011/04/19/gas-drilling-industry-makes-stunning-admission/
static.ewg.org/reports/2011/fracking/cracks_in_the_facade.pdf
pnas.org/content/early/2011/05/02/1100682108.full.pdf+html?sid=bde16321-e169-437d-a59c-798e7f65c479
grist.org/article/2011-02-28-pittsburgh-drinking-water-radioactive-fracking-natural-gas-times/
nytimes.com/2011/02/27/us/27gas.html?_r=1&ref=drillingdown
essentialpublicradio.org/story/2011-12-01/salts-drilling-drinking-water-danger-still-showing-rivers-9616
postindependent.com/article/20100813/VALLEYNEWS/100819931
Profiles/Contacts
cee.cornell.edu/people/profile.cfm?netid=ari1
history.ucsd.edu/people/faculty/oreskes-naomi.html
‘Drilling Down’
nytimes.com/interactive/us/DRILLING_DOWN_SERIES.html
PR/Hill and Knowlton
prwatch.org/spin/2009/11/8680/hill-knowltons-carbon-two-step
sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Hill_%26_Knowlton
prwatch.org/books/tsigfy10.html
prwatch.org/search/node/knowlton
naturalgaswatch.org/?p=939
csmonitor.com/2002/0906/p25s02-cogn.html
State Government Documents
mines.industry.qld.gov.au/assets/petroleum-pdf/tara_leaking_well_investigation_report.pdf
cogcc.state.co.us/Library/WQCC_WQCD_AnnualReports/WQCC09_10RPT.pdf
‘Reality Tour’ Marcellus Shale
youtube.com/watch?v=iPM64kseP30
Merchants of Doubt
bloomsburypress.com/books/catalog/merchants_of_doubt_hc_104
Colbert Report
mnn.com/earth-matters/politics/blogs/stephen-colbert-and-tom-ridge-get-awkward-over-fracking
desmogblog.com/tom-ridge-claimed-i-m-not-lobbyist-colbert-report-facts-prove-otherwise
keystonepolitics.com/2011/06/tom-ridge-shills-for-fracking-on-colbert-report/
Gas Industry Conference:
naturalgaswatch.org/?p=970

Sullivan Renaissance Annual Conference HUGE SUCCESS

Steve Vegliante and Randy Resnick

First, do apologize (I do that a lot) for being AFK from the blog for a few days, but with the onset (almost) of spring here in Sullivan County, there are a lot of goings on.  This past Saturday I attended the Sullivan Renaissance Annual Conference over at CVI, and walked out of the event at the very end so excited and ready to get to work on the Rock Hill Category C project that I forgot my camera...if you know me, you know I had to be pumped up to forget my camera.

 First up on the list for myself was taking a peek at the new Renaissance Collection.  This new collection of perennial plants have been chosen by Sullivan Renaissance staff for their ability to not only survive, but thrive in the challenging growing conditions of Sullivan County.  My own favorites are the Salvia and Russian Sage...what can I say, am a big fan of purple here.

Next up on the day's agenda were the Sullivan First Awards.  Recipients included Spencer Daniel Agency, Aero Star Petroleum,  the Eagle Plaza Mall, Berni's Holiday Restaurant in Rock Hill, Jim & Betty Lund of the Woodbourne Action Committee, Dave & Phyllis Moore from Neversink, Laurie Kilgore a mural painter from the Monticello area, Barbara Sush,  Saint James Episcopal Church of Callicoon, and last but not least, Keith Gilmore and the Recovery Center in Monticello.  All of these folks, businesses and organizations have contributed a lot to making Sullivan County a better place to live.

 

The highlight of the morning was the Keynote speaker, Joe (Gardener) Lamp L' from the television show, "Growing a Greener World".  First, it was very refreshing to find a star of his caliber to be so personable with everyone there, his words and actions both genuine  and from the heart.  He shared a lot of wonderful ideas with all of us using both video and clips from his show, the audience captivated by his words...Joe has all the qualities one looks for in a great storyteller, and his address was an enjoyable one that I would have liked to have seen go even longer than it did.  One site he shared with us that I want to pass along is for Ample Harvest where the concept is pretty simple..."Plant a row for the hungry."  In these hard economic times with our food pantries hard pressed to keep up with the demand, it is advice all those who garden should take and implement.

The workshops were as always, entertaining, educational and well attended. 

It was a great event as everyone prepares for spring, puts the finishing touches on their own applications for the 2012 Sullivan Renaissance.