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By arimoore, on December 16th, 2009%
People across the Finger Lakes Region are deeply concerned about the prospect of extensive drilling for natural gas in the vast Marcellus Shale deposit. The use of hydrofracking technology to force out the gas brings with it significant threats to the health and well being of our entire community. With close to 40% of the land in Tompkins County leased for gas drilling, we are likely to see severe impacts from this extractive industry.
That’s why Sustainable Tompkins has joined the call for a statewide ban on hydrofracking until all concerns and all costs are competently addressed by the drilling industry and the NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation. However, we strongly believe that we must be willing to take a systems approach to the issue of natural gas drilling. If we want to reduce the supply of gas flowing from the Marcellus, then we have to prove that we are also willing to take the time, and make the investments, to decrease our demand for natural gas and fossil fuels. (Read more)
Take the pledge!
By arimoore, on November 20th, 2009%
 Green Guerrillas Youth Media Tech Collective has entered Free Range Studio’s Youtopia contest to get help making an online movie about the environmental impact(s) of natural gas exploration and exploitation.
Click here to vote for them now!
Read on for more info, and detailed instructions for voting.
Continue reading VOTE for local media makers, Green Guerrillas Youth Media Tech Collective
By arimoore, on September 21st, 2009%
The first ever regional Bioneers Conference offers several opportunities to learn about natural gas drilling and its impact (and potential future impacts) on our region.
Friday the 16th Dave Cooper will speak about the Mountain Justice Movement, and Karryn Olson-Ramanujan of the Finger Lakes Permaculture Institute will speak on Changing Our Minds: Thinking Skills for a Regenerative Future
Saturday the 17th Shaleshock and Mountain Justice will come together to talk about “Shaleshock and Mountain Justice: Sharing Strategies to Strengthen a Movement”
Sunday the 18th be inspired by Dorothy Cotton in her keynote address “What the Civil Rights Movement can Teach the Sustainability Movement”
There will be many other amazing workshops on topics from Clean Energy Policy, to Green Jobs, to Single Payer Healthcare, as well as opportunities for nature walks, yoga, and even a poetry slam. Find out more »
By arimoore, on August 26th, 2009%
Natural gas, not so sustainable by John Guerrerio, Energy Examiner, brings up some public health issues: “It makes no sense to expand these adverse health effects nationally, especially in light of skyrocketing healthcare costs. Denial of coverage based upon proximity to drill sites may become a possibility.”
He also asks, “Do we really have the luxury of poisoning this much of our freshwater suply in the name of natural gas development? The question needs to be asked again: What do we value more, energy to run our machines or water to sustain human life?” (Read more)
By arimoore, on August 6th, 2009%
Hope you will join us for a number of gas drilling related workshops this weekend at NY Green Fest, Aug. 7-9 on the campus of Alfred University in Alfred, NY. We have added a new presentation by Chris Burger on the Marcellus Shale, and new presenters Mary Jo Long and Mike Bernhard assisting with already scheduled presentations. Gas drilling related exhibitors include Annie Lenihan, Mary Jo Long and Mike Bernhard for the Chenango Delaware Otsego Gas Group, Andrew Byers and Dirk Trachy for Shaleshock, Kate Bartholomew, Pat Brown and Susanne Brown for the Finger Lakes Sierra Club, and Angela Knisley for the Niagara Sierra Club exhibiting about gas drilling in Allegany State Park. We have the use of Alfred’s excellent facilities for our programs, and we have to pay them fees for the use of these facilities. To cover our costs of our facilities use, we are charging $85 registration for the weekend, $45 for Saturday only. Meals and lodging are available in the area. For more information, visit the Green Fest website, http://nygreenfest.org/
Schedule of Gas Drilling Related Activities at NY Green Fest 2009
Friday, August 7, 2009
10:00 am, Registration Opens
12:00 noon, Exhibits Open
1:45 pm – 2:45 pm, Workshop Session 1
Building Local Sovereignty over Gas Drilling, Mike Bernhard, Mary Jo Long, Rachel Treichler— Kanakadea 105
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm, Workshop Session 2
Green Media Panel: David Doonan, Deborah Magone, Cyril Mychalejko, Lee Riddell— Nevins Theater, Powell Center
7:00 pm — 9:00 pm, Forum 1
Forum on the Politics of Sustainability: Virginia Rasmussen, “Who Has the Power to Implement Sustainability?” and Cyril Mychelako, “Rights for Nature,” Nevins Theater, Powell Center
Saturday, August 8, 2009
8:30 am – 9:30 am, Workshop Session 3
Natural Gas 101: Basics of the Social and Environmental Impacts of Natural Gas Extraction, Andrew Byers and Dirk Trachy from Shaleshock— Kanakadea 105
9:45 am — 11:00 am, Forum 2
Forum on Sustainable Energy, Presenters: Art Weaver, “Renewable Energy, the Audacity of Hope, the Reality of Change,” and Dan Miner, “The Post Carbon Future,”
Music: Lucky Pluckers— Solar Stage weather permitting, Nevins Theater if raining
11:15 am – 12:15 pm, Workshop Session 4
Marcellus Shale Basics, Chris Burger — Nevins Theater, Powell Center
1:45 pm – 2:45pm, Workshop Session 5
Watershed Protection, with Local Examples, Stephen Lewandowski— Kanakadea 105
Zero Waste Workshop, Chris Burger— Steinheim
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm, Workshop Session 6
Dynamic Conversation about Community Participation, Hydraulic Fracturing, and the Next Ten Years, Andrew Byers and Dirk Trachy from Shaleshock — Kanakadea 104
7:00 pm — 9:00 pm, Forum 3
Joel Kovel, “Revitalizing the Relationship between Humans and Nature,” and Tony Gronowicz, “History of Rights for Nature in US”, Nevins Theater, Powell Center
Sunday, August 9, 2009
8:30 am – 9:30 am, Workshop Session 7
“My Name is Allegany County, ” Anti-Nuclear Campaign and its applicability to Gas Drilling Activism, Meg Krywe, Burton Stein, others TBA — Nevins Theater, Powell Center
9:45 am — 11:15 am, Forum 4
Forum on Sovereignty and Sustainability with Bill Kauffman, “Look Homeward, Greens: Why Localism Matters,” Peter Jemison and Lyn Gerry. Solar Stage weather permitting, Nevins Theater if raining
11:30 am – 12:30 pm, Workshop Session 8
Treaty of Canandaigua, Peter Jemison— Kanakadea 104
Green Campaigns, Lessons Learned, Joel Kovel, Carl Romanelli, Rome Celli, Don DeBar— Nevins Theater, Powell Campus Center
1:45 pm — 3:30 pm, Forum 5
Forum on Visioning a Green Future
Presentations: Steve Welzer “What Do We Face?” and Jason Nabewaniec—Howell Hall, Second Floor
3:30 pm, Adjourn
By shirari, on July 30th, 2009%
A form letter from a NY landowner coalition group is making its way around the internet.
I have written a response, and the form letter follows. The letter to Governor Paterson is being disseminated by this local landowner coalition group which accuses an un-identified “anti-drilling crowd” of impeding the progress of unconventional gas drilling in New York State. The landowners further accuse the “anti-drilling crowd” of “misinformation”, “fear-mongering” and “fabricating ‘facts’”.
As someone who has been gathering facts about unconventional gas drilling, I have attended many informational meetings related to drilling with speakers including representatives from the State Assembly, the State Senate, the US Congress, the NYS Attorney General’s Office, Farm Bureau, CCE, USGS, Soil and Water, SRBC, DEC and other agencies. Not once in all these meetings did any representative of these disparate agencies use the terms “misinformation” or “fear- mongering” when speaking of public concerns.
On the contrary, the Attorney General’s Office representatives warned landowners against signing bad leases and advised they should report to them any inappropriate behavior in their dealings with landmen. The USGS geologist who spoke here in Ithaca clearly relayed numerous concerns related to wastewater treatment and disposal. Many town and county representatives spoke of the need for plans to prepare for gas drilling to ensure the health and safety of citizens. One does not need to “fabricate” facts. The facts speak for themselves. High volumes of water and chemicals are needed to frack one well. There are expected to be tens of thousands of wells in NYS in the next few years. We do not have enough facilities to process the wastewater. From Dish, TX, to Dimock, PA, there have been problems. Real problems, not fabricated ones.
The people who have previously made accusations against public citizens of “misinformation” and “fear-mongering” are IOGA and gas industry representatives. And now, they have succeeded in getting the public to do their dirty work for them. Perhaps this is a victory for the multi-national corporations, but it is a tragedy for our communities.
Lisa Wright
Ithaca
Continue reading Industry Doesn't Want Good Neighbors
By shirari, on July 15th, 2009%
Lecture: Francis J. DiSalvo
“World Challenges: Making Our Way to Sustainable Solutions”
Statler Auditorium, Cornell University
Cornell Professor Frank DiSalvo, who directs the Cornell Center for a Sustainable Future, will outline some of the challenges the world faces in the areas of energy, environment, and economic and human development, and the role of academic institutions in addressing these issues.
Visit Cornell’s site for more info.
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About Us Shaleshock is an information hub connecting people to regional groups and projects working to stop exploitative drilling in the Marcellus Shale.(more)
2009 Signs of Sustainability
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