Transition Towns’ self-governance committee will hold a meeting today (Sunday June 10th) to discuss passing an ordinance locally which puts decision making powers in the hands of the people, not corporations. The focus for the meeting and ordinance is putting a ban on fracking. Let’s get the decision making power into the hands of the people, not the corporations! Everyone is invited to attend. Optional: you are welcome to bring snacks to share.

What is fracking and why should we be concerned?

“Fracking an oil or gas well means injecting millions of gallons of fluid -- typically a mix of water, sand and chemicals -- at a pressure high enough to fracture underground rocks and release oil or gas.  The practice is leaving a legacy of air and water pollution in communities across the country, and contributing to global climate change.

Now, the oil and gas industry is targeting natural gas fields in the Sacramento Basin and oil fields in the San Joaquin, Santa Maria, Ventura and Los Angeles Basins. If industry succeeds, generations of Californians would pay the environmental and public health costs.”¹

It is quite possible that fracking is occurring elsewhere in the state too. According to Michael Hiltzik, writing for the LA Times, “the state division of oil, gas and geothermal resources, or DOGGR is unable to identify where and how often hydraulic fracturing occurs within the state."²

References:

¹ “Ban Fracking in California!”: http://action.foodandwaterwatch.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=9760

² “Let's close the information gap about fracking:” http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-hiltzik-20120608,0,1622100.column