Cecily Anderson
Last year when I attended a retreat with National Council of Churches, several of the leaders stayed up one evening to discuss the issues of ‘Fracking.”
The term “Fracking” is shorthand for- Hydraulic Fracturing, and it is a new method used to extract natural gas that is embedded in stone. Scientist and energy companies discovered, that by drilling into the earth and releasing a mixture of chemicals, acids, and water (a solution that they try to keep hidden) they are able to mine natural gas.
At first this was seen as a possible tool to combat the consumption of oil, as natural gas is cleaner to burn, however, now more and more people are reporting that Fracking is harming drinking water, causing disruptions in the earth’s crust, and even harming farms and people’s homes.
It has been a while since I have paid much attention to the news about fracking until I saw this article in the NY Times. It describes how fracking can go horribly wrong and shows that it can hurt drinking water.
The article is called, ” A Tainted Water Well, and Concern There May Be More” and it was written by Ian Urbina. I would encourage you to give it a read and to share it with others…especially if you live in an area where fracking is a growing industry- Pennsylvania, West Virgina, Virgina, Ohio, Maryland, North Carolina, and Quebec Canada.
As church leaders, it is important that we share the news about how this unknown industry is crippling the health and safety of our faith communities and of God’s creation.
For more information please visit:
- Wiki Article- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydraulic_fracturing_in_the_United_States
- United Methodist Article- http://www.umc-gbcs.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=frLJK2PKLqF&b=2952501&ct=7780223¬oc=1
