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Drill baby drill? Natural gas exploitation in the Marcellus Shale and what you can do about it

At Goldwin Smith Hall 132 (Hollis E Cornell Auditorium), Cornell Campus. RSVP on Facebook.

Presenters:
Walter Hang, Toxics Targeting
Lisa Wright and Ryan Clover, Shaleshock Citizens Action Alliance

Walter Hang is President of Toxics Targeting, an environmental database firm in Ithaca, New York. He is the leading authority on environmental, toxicity, and public health issues related to Marcellus Shale gas drilling and the controversial drilling technique known as “hydrofracking” (short for horizontal chemical-laden hydraulic fracturing of shale where natural gas is contained). Many concerned citizens are asking: Does it make sense to contaminate essential resources such as water and soil in order to extract one resource – natural gas? Are we to drill first and ask questions later? Walter Hang will address these issues. He will use multimedia presentation to discuss the history of gas drilling in New York State and summarize findings on gas drilling pollution and environmental protection.

Lisa Wright and Ryan Clover are leading organizers of Shaleshock Citizens Action Alliance, a grassroots group of Finger Lakes residents seeking to protect regional communities and the environment from natural gas exploitation in the Marcellus Shale. They will discuss the environmental justice response to hydrofracking. They will provide you with opportunities to become involved.

VIDEO: DEMOCRACY NOW! INTERVIEW with WALTER HANG: Watch See this very informative interview with Walter Hang by Amy Goodman on Democracy Now! National Public Radio, November 10 2009.

Sponsors: Palante (Proyecto Palante and Palante Salsa en Rueda Dance Troupe), Shaleshock Citizens Action Alliance, Kyoto Now, New World Agriculture and Ecology Group. Event financed in party by Graduate and Professional Student Assembly.

Natural Gas Prices Plummet to a Seven-Year Low

Natural Gas Prices Plummet to a Seven-Year Low by Clifford Krauss for the New York Times attributes the change to “declining demand and a big expansion of domestic production.” This may mean more shut-in wells as companies rush to drill and lock in leases. Many Cortland landowners report that as soon as gas is found the wells are cemented and added to reserves providing no local revenue.

Have you had a well drilled on your property? Tell us your story!

Natural gas 'hydrofracking' holds promise, peril

Check out Natural gas ‘hydrofracking’ holds promise, peril, published by Post-Standard Editorial Board on August 5th:

The rich natural gas deposits beneath Central New York present a rare opportunity for large-scale economic development. They also present the specter of environmental degradation across a wide swath of the region… It’s a technology fraught with potential problems — noise, water pollution, increases in truck traffic, road deterioration, a scarred landscape and the disposal of millions of gallons of hazardous wastewater. If not done right, the search for natural gas could become a man-made disaster in Central New York.

Read more

Challenging exploitation with rights-based organizing

If you would like to learn more about how rights-based organizing can be used to challenge corporate exploitation in your community, Shaleshock member Autumn urges you to learn more about CELDF.

An episode of Alternative Radio featuring Richard Grossman, giving a speech entitled “Rolling Back Corporate Power” is available to borrow at the Shaleshock office, at 115 E. Martin Luther King Street (the Commons; office is located above the Autumn Leaves Bookstore).

You can also watch this video (40 minutes):