In recent years, the dangers of fracking have become more apparent, as Nick Kusnetz reports in The Nation. In 2011 the EPA linked the practice directly to groundwater pollution while public heath researchers have found that intensive drilling and fracking has pushed smog levels in some rural western valleys beyond those of Los Angeles. Yet, fracking continues apace in numerous mid-Atlantic and Western states and New York, the only state to date with significant shale gas reserves to prevent energy companies from fracking, is currently weighing whether to allow the practice.

In response to reports that Governor Cuomo will soon allow fracking, a wide coalition has assembled to educate the public and sign up pledges from New York state residents to engage in nonviolent acts of protest to resist hydrofracking. No matter where you live, implore your reps to support the Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act which aims to repeal the exemption for hydraulic fracturing in the Safe Drinking Water Act. After weighing in, share this post with friends, family and your Facebook and Twitter communities.

This essay by Bill McKibben last May in The New York Review of Books debunks the main arguments made in favor of fracking and makes clear that fracked gas is not a “bridge fuel” to some cleaner era, but a "rickety pier extending indefinitely out into a hotter future."

Josh Fox’s The Sky Is Pink, called the “best 18-minute video ever made” by Greenpeace’s Kevin Grandia, reveals a slew of industry documents detailing serious concerns about well safety and water contamination and accessibly unpacks the increasing body of research on fracking.

 

A weekly guide to meaningful action, this blog connects readers with resources toeeks to shine a bright light on one concrete action Nation readers can take each week. To broaden the conversation, we’ll publish a weekly follow-up post detailing the response and featuring additional campaigns and initiatives that we hope readers will check out. Toward that end, please use the comments field to give us ideas. With your help, we can make real change.