How Natural Gas Drilling Has Impacted My Life by Molly M.

August 25, 2010

Following is a guest post from Molly M.  All are invited to submit:

For the past six months my life has been consumed by the prospect of natural gas drilling in my community.  I have attended meetings, been interviewed by the newspaper, written and talked to umpteen legislators, seen Gasland, put a No Frack sign in my yard, talked to everyone within hearing distance, and read, read, read.  On a more personal level, I have taken a hard look at my own lifestyle and the usage of fossil energy resources.  I would love to incorporate solar panels and a wind turbine at my home.  For the time being, I have changed all of my lightbulbs to CFLs, added solar lighting to my yard, added insulation to my home, and installed insulated drapes on my windows.  By using less energy, I hope to deny the energy companies of a little profit…

My driving habits have changed, too.  I am looking into leasing a Prius, although I don’t drive a lot, so my CO2 discharges aren’t excessive.  I combine trips and spend many days without using my car.  I wish I could use other ways of transportation – in a rural area it is hard to use public transportation or walk to many services.

Am I living greener? Definitely.  Perhaps I would anyway – I have always touted being an environmentalist.  Now it has become an absolute passion in my lifestyle.

Has gas drilling affected my diet?  I’ll leave that story for another day…


Gas Stock I – Defiance

August 24, 2010

Gas Stock was an act of defiance. It signals that despite the odds, the politicos, the Westmoreland Club, the silence of the Sierra Club, the co-opting of Penn State, the compromising of Penn Future, the dearth of lawyer support, the PUC, the lobbyists, the campaign contributions, the advertisements, the unemployment, the bankrupt governments (desperate to close their budgets), the SRBC, the DEP, the Oil and Gas Act, the Energy Policy Act of 2005, and on and on … the movement will not give up.

Clean air and clean water are our constitutional right:

The people have a right to clean air, pure water, and to the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic and aesthetic values of the environment. Pennsylvania’s public natural resources are the common property of all the people, including generations yet to come. As trustee of these resources, the Commonwealth shall conserve and maintain them for the benefit of all the people. -Article I of the Pennsylvania State Constitution, Sec. 27

Beyond that, we owe it to our children and grandchildren.

And to those of you who follow the Bible: remember, you are called upon to be stewards of God’s creation. Don’t let covetousness cloud your decisions – do the right thing. (God created a garden, not an industrial zone)


Gas Stock I – the trek

August 22, 2010


Photo courtesy of Mark Cour

It was a day well spent.  A day in the sun among old and new friends.  Gas Stock was a gathering which spanned generations, politics, communities, and states.  It was a  campfire around which we joined as one.  Thank  you to NEPA Citizens in Action!

I was part of a small group which hiked from the Susquehanna in Wilkes-Barre to the Fair Grounds in Lehman.  Here is what the Times Leader reported about our trek:

Don Williams, of Montgomery County, set out from Wilkes-Barre’s Nesbitt Park at 6:30 a.m. and walked more than 10 miles to the fairgrounds together with his daughters, Lisa and Lauren Williams, and two local bloggers, Mark Cour and Herb Baldwin.“I’ve attended several of these meetings where the gas industry people basically said, if you drove here and you don’t support what we’re doing, you’re a hypocrite. I remembered that,” Williams said. “That’s why I did it, being able to say I had the lowest carbon footprint here today.”

Actually there was six of us. The person omitted in the Times Leader quote is blogger Hannah Abelbeck.  Sending us off was yet another blogger, John, and his sister Sandy. They showed up at dawn to wish us well and record the riverside ceremony. Afterward, we started out, four bloggers and two sane people.

(“By the time we got to Gas Stock, we were half a dozen strong…”) (apologies to Joni Mitchell).

Our march paralleled in reverse the route of  Toby’s Creek as it moves from the back mountains down to the valley, tumbling fresh water into the Susquehanna and eventually the Chesapeake.

We started our journey atop concrete and asphalt, alongside traffic and amid big plastic signs and display windows. We left the streets in Luzerne and strode along an old railroad bed turned recreational trail. It parallels the highway which was once but a creek side foot path. Now the sound of  traffic permeates the air.

We eventually emerged from the woods onto route 309 in Dallas. It was pedestrian unfriendly from there to the fairground. We stopped by Lisa Baker’s office but no one was there. We took some pictures and left tri-folds of information in the doorjamb. Lisa continues to believe this corporate invasion can be “managed”.

How do you manage billions of  gallons of toxic slurry left inside the shattered rock? How do you manage the diminishing water supply?  How do you tell the regional water cycle it will have to do with billions of gallons less?  How do you insure the infrastructure of wells are maintained and incident free for the next thousand years?  How do you manage a hodgepodge of corporations, companies, and contractors from myriad states and countries whose only goal is the maximization of profit?

The picture above is one taken at Baker’s office.  You will notice the Pennsylvania State Flag is upside down. This was not a mistake. Don did it, as a sign of distress.  Penn’s Woods is in serious jeopardy.

( There is, however, one mistake in the photo: See if you can find it in less than five seconds.)

Meanwhile, to be continued…


Walkin’ to Gas Stock

August 18, 2010

Here is an invitation from Kayak Dude to walk to Gas Stock with him. I plan on doing it and hope to see you there:

Walkin’ to Gas Stock
Event: Walking from the Susquehanna River @ Nesbitt Park to the Luzerne County Fairgrounds

When: Beginning at dawn ( ~5:52 a.m. ) on Saturday, 8/21/2010

Why: In Support of Gas Stock…and because I can!

Who: Whoever shows up

Other: Join us for all 10+ miles or any portion thereof

Contact: djw444@gmail.com


wake up to freedom

August 17, 2010

we are not hostage
to foreign oil

we are hostage
to ourselves


Come to GAS STOCK!

August 10, 2010
GAS STOCK

Environmental Concert – Festival – Rally

Free to the Public

NEPA Citizens in Action is sponsoring an Environmental Concert/Festival/Rally which is intended to bring light, education and political pressure on the Marcellus Shale gas well drilling situation in our communities.
The event will be held on August 21st, 2010 at the Luzerne County Fairgrounds in Lehman, PA from 12 noon until 7 pm. This is a family event, alcohol free and free to the public.
The event committee is seeking food and product vendors. Your product should contribute to a “green” lifestyle to be considered for inclusion. For further information, call Dorene at 570- 328-1551 or e-mail; Deedee7@epix.net
We are also seeking talented street performers and bands who are willing to donate their time for the cause. Please contact Roxie at or e-mail; Roxiep9@aol.com
We also welcome the participation of any organization concerned about the quality of life and future of water quality and availability here in PA. For information, call Mary at 570-676-4919 or e-mail; emhenzi@ptd.net
See you there!

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NoFrackMountain.com

August 3, 2010

Last night, just before midnight I bought the domain name rights  to NoFrackMountain.com.  I think this is what I am after and it seems to be the name that speaks to my mind.  But what of FrackMountain.com?  It speaks to an emotionally grounded  irony  should the corporate plan  come to fruition.  BUT! FU<K ENCANA! and their home boys.   That is why I say, drop frackmountain, and dig NOFRACKMOUNTAIN! Sorry about the "fu<ks"  But if any situatioin calls for it, this does… bend over .


County Zoning Board Meeting

August 1, 2010

If you live in LAKE or FAIRMOUNT TOWNSHIP, please consider speaking your opposition to ten new gas drilling sites at Tuesday’s zoning board hearing! Tuesday at 7 PM at Luzerne County Courthouse.

If you have friends who are opposed to natural gas drilling in LAKE or FAIRMONT TOWNSHIP, please let them know WE NEED THEM. to show their opposition.  –  Paula of GDAC

The county zoning board meeting is an exercise in non democracy posing as democracy. You get to voice your opinion to men who stare at cleavage.