Tags: ban fracking, clean energy, climate change, community rights, direct action, Ohio, Ohio Environmental Council, take action spread knowledge
Tag Archives: direct action
Don’t Frack Ohio begins in Columbus!
15 JunFriends-
Tomorrow, Don’t Frack Ohio begins in Columbus!
Everything is ready: the march route is scouted, the speakers lined up, the trainings and workshops prepped. I hope you’re ready too.
I wanted to shoot you this final email just to make sure you had all the latest info about what is planned — with so many people coming to town, we want to make sure everyone knows where to be and when.
First, I want to make sure everyone knows the plan for Sunday.
We will meet at 11 AM at Arch Park (McFerson Commons) for a rally and a few speakers. Then before Noon, we will march to the Statehouse, where we will occupy the rotunda and pass people’s legislation to protect Ohio from the fracking industry. Then we’ll march out together and take the next steps towards defending Ohio as a movement — we should be finished be around 2 PM. Click here for the schedule and list of speakers for the event.
For the workshops that begin tomorrow and run through Saturday, the place to be is the Ohio State Urban Arts Space, which is in between High and Wall Streets on West Town St. in downtown Columbus. (Map here)
Tomorrow, the 14th, we’ll get started at 11 AM, and at 9 AM on both Friday the 15th and Saturday the 16th, and wrap up around 9 PM each night. We’ll cover lunch and dinner while you’re there (as long as you don’t mind simple activist-food) The full schedule for the workshops on all three days is available here.
Every night from Thursday to Saturday we have a special event planned that we’re opening to the public. On Thursday night, we’ll be watching the film Gasland; on Friday we’ve recruited some local bands for a dance party; and on Saturday night, we will have a panel discussion with Josh Fox (director of Gasland), Bill McKibben (Co-Founder of 350.org), Mari-Lynn Evans (Producer of Coal Country, USA) and Jason Box (Ohio State University climate scientist).
Also, on Saturday at Noon we’ll be marching in the Columbus Pride Parade – just meet us at Broad and High St. downtown for the march. We’ll be there with a big fracking rig and lots of good solidarity-spreading vibes.
That’s about it. If you have any questions, email the organizers at dontfrackoh@gmail.com and we’ll get back to you ASAP.
This is going to be fun,
-Duncan
P.S. – Actually, there was one more thing. There are a few key roles that the organizers were hoping you could step up to fill. These are things needed to make the action run smoothly — things like marshaling the march, contributing to food prep for the convergence space, and childcare help so that parents can participate. If you’d like to volunteer, click here to let us know.
Don’t Frack Ohio is a project of 350.org Action Fund, in collaboration with Ohio’s grassroots anti-fracking movement. Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter, and sign up for email alerts.
Riverdale Residents Blockade Aqua America Construction Road
1 JunRiverdale Residents Blockade Aqua America Construction Road
June 1, 2012
Piatt Township, PA – Riverdale residents and supporters have blockaded access to a mobile home community that is facing imminent displacement at the hands of Aqua America, a major water withdrawal company that supplies natural gas drillers in the Marcellus Shale region.
Approximately thirty residents and allies are currently blockading entrance roads to the community. Supporters have also placed tired and wooden boards at the entrance, alongside banners reading “Aqua America Kills Community” and “We Will Fight For Our Homes.” A Range Resources security vehicle arrived onsite around 11 A.M., and security officials are videotaping residents and blockaders.
The blockade was launched to halt Aqua America’s plans to begin construction of a withdrawal facility for water from the Susquehanna River to be used in hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) operations. Aqua America recently purchased the entire Riverdale mobile home unit to be used as a withdrawal site, and has issued lease termination notices to thirty-two Riverdale families. Construction is set to begin on June 1, and it is unclear what additional steps Aqua America will take to displace those families who are choosing to remain.
The dismantling of the community has left many residents in tears over the loss of their home. Deb Eck, one of the remaining residents, stated, “This park isn’t just a bunch of trailers with a bunch of people who don’t know each other. We’re all friends. We’re all neighbors. It’s a community. It’s one big family.”
The Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC) permitted construction of the Riverdale water withdrawal facility in March. The SRBC, comprised of representatives from the White House and the governors of New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, granted forty-eight withdrawal permits at its March meeting, despite the objections of concerned residents. Aqua America has been permitted to withdraw up to three million gallons of river water daily. Susan Obleski, spokeswoman for the SRBC, stated that the Susquehanna has been facing severe drought this spring “at levels that haven’t been seen since 1910 and 1946.”
Fracking has been linked to cases of water contamination in towns across the country including Dimock, PA and Pavilion, WY. The gas industry is exempted from the Clean Water and Safer Drinking Water Acts and as a result, many of the chemicals used in drilling are unknown. Pennsylvania law restricts the ability of local governments to regulate fracking operations and gags doctors from sharing information about chemicals used in fracking with public health officials. Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protecting is facing criticism for its refusal to list the Susquehanna River as “impaired” under the Clean Water Act. According to John Arway of Pennsylvania’s Fish and Boat Commission, there has been a significant increase in fish with black lesions in the Susquehanna since last summer.
Friday’s blockade is one of a series of escalating actions in resistance to increased fracking operations in the Marcellus and Utica shale regions. Pennsylvania activists disrupted the SRBC’s March hearing and have blockaded trucks carrying drillrigs in Lycoming County, and eleven Ohioans have been arrested for anti-fracking actions since last November. Additional major anti-fracking events scheduled for this summer include a takeover of the Ohio statehouse on June 17, the Earth First Rendezvous from July 1-7, a Youngstown-based action camp from July 13-17, and a July 28 convergence in Washington D.C.
Residents and supporters are committed to stopping construction of the water withdrawal facility that threatens to raze their community. They are demanding that Aqua America permit residents to remain in the homes, compensate those who have already left, and allow for the return of all residents who have already been displaced. Residents have requested that more supporters converge in defense of the Riverdale mobile home park and to, in Deb Eck’s words, “help us keep the River in Riverdale.”
“We are here in solidarity with the residents of Riverdale, who are on the frontlines of the devastation that fracking is causing across Pennsylvania,” said blockader Lauren Zygmont. “We are putting our bodies on the line to send a message to perpetrators of environmental injustice worldwide: as long as you continue to sacrifice communities like Riverdale for profit, you can expect resistance.”
Let’s Help Ohio Do This BEFORE We Have Problems!!
20 MayLoveland enacts emergency fracking ban, Fort Collins may follow
FORT COLLINS – New oil and gas drilling and fracking are now temporarily banned in Loveland and may soon be in Fort Collins as well.
The Loveland City Council Tuesday night passed an emergency nine-month moratorium on new oil and gas operations within city limits as a “time out” allowing the city to update its zoning code and to develop a regulatory process for energy development in the city. The moratorium passed 6-3 after two hours of debate and public comment.
The Fort Collins City Council unanimously gave initial approval to an ordinance that would establish a moratorium of up to 8 months on accepting land-use applications related to oil and gas operations.
During the moratorium, the city would develop a permitting process for oil and gas drilling and draft land-use regulations with the aim of protecting the interests of the city and residents as allowable by state law, officials said.
The process of crafting the regulations would involve extensive public outreach. The moratorium would go into effect June 15 and end in February or earlier if the process is complete.
Nearly 20 residents spoke to the Fort Collins City Council in support of the moratorium. No one spoke against the proposal.
Mayor pro tem Kelly Ohlson said the city should “look out for its own” and come up with the strongest regulations possible.
Some residents said the city should do more than consider regulation of oil and gas operations; it should consider an outright ban, especially on fracking.
Dian Sparling said the chemicals used in fracking and other gas and oil operations have been linked to health problems and could cause birth defects.
The city should act to protect future residents, she said.
“Push the pause button,” she said. “Please consider the health risks.”
Good news – Meyers Lake bans oil, gas exploration
15 Mayhttp://www.cantonrep.com/news/x85614188/Meyers-Lake-bans-oil-gas-exploration
CANTON —
Amid a boisterous and vocal crowd, Village Council unanimously banned any expansion of oil and gas exploration at a meeting Monday.
Despite warnings from Village Counsel Dean Dahl, Councilman Joe Boda’s proposal was approved to applause from residents.
The ordinance, adopted on an emergency basis so it would go into effect immediately, bans horizontal hydraulic fracturing, “fracking,” or deepening of any existing wells to extract oil or natural gas, or to dispose of the sand, water and chemical byproducts the drilling process creates.
The ordinance also forbids village residents from selling or leasing mineral rights beneath their property for oil and gas exploration.
Don’t Frack Ohio Strategy Training With 350.org
12 MayPress advisory
May 12, 2012
Roadshow brings anti-fracking message to Ohioans across the state
Tour comes to Canton, Ohio on Tuesday, May 15th, 2012
COLUMBUS — As the spring heats up, so does the opposition in Ohio to fracking, the controversial drilling method for natural gas that is spreading across the state despite mounting protests and scientific uncertainty. On May 15, Don’t Frack Ohio organizers will join with T.A.S.K. and other community organizations at the Canton YWCA to bring increased attention to the damage fracking is causing in the state and to build momentum for the largest action against fracking in the country’s history, scheduled for June 17th in Columbus.
The roadshow will visit nine cities, where organizers will meet with community members to discuss the impacts of fracking on Ohio, offer training on how to design strategic actions that move local campaigns against fracking forward, and to recruit for the June 17 event.
WHAT: Don’t Frack Ohio Spring Roadshow in Canton, Ohio. Don’t Frack Ohio is calling for a ban on fracking in the state.
WHEN:
6:00pm – 9:00pm
May 15, 2012
WHERE:
Canton YWCA
231 Sixth St NE
Canton, Ohio
May 12th—Cincinnati, OH (10am-1pm)
May 13th—Athens, OH (2-5pm)
May 14th—Youngstown, OH (6-9pm)
May 15th—Canton, OH (6-9pm)
May 16th—Ashtabula, OH (6-9pm)
May 17th—Cleveland, OH (6-9pm)
May 18th—Mansfield, OH (6-9pm)
May 19th—Oberlin, OH (2-5pm)
May 20th—Columbus, OH (2-5pm)
WHY: Gov. Kasich has made fracking the centerpiece of his state energy plan despite the myriad problems associated with the drilling technique. Those include:
Earthquakes–On Dec 31, 2011, a magnitude 4.0 quake struck Youngstown, Ohio – typically not a hot bed of noticeable seismic activity. The quake triggered shaking reportedly felt as as far away as Buffalo, N.Y., and Toronto. It was the strongest of 11 earthquakes that have struck the region since March of 2011.
Fracking injects large quantities of pressurized fluids, and with this drillers can break up the rock, releasing the gas for extraction. One way to dispose of the waste fluids from the process is to inject them back into porous rock formations deep underground. But if pressurized fluids find their way into faults, the fluids can act like a hydraulic jack, separating locked sections enough to allow them to slip and cause earthquakes.
In April 2012, the US Geological Survey issued a paper at the Seismological Society of America that said that “a remarkable increase in the rate of [magnitude 3.0] and greater earthquakes is currently in progress” in the U.S. midcontinent.
Climate change–Without a price on carbon pollution, cheap gas displaces as much low-carbon electricity as it does high-carbon coal. Numerous studies have shown how harvesting natural gas also results in methane leaks that could be doing significant damage to the climate. A new study from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that methane leakage from drilling, and especially fracking, has been underestimated and could exceed 2.4%. This amount erases the climate benefits that natural gas could offer.
Public health–Much is still to be learned about how fracking affects public health; A three year study released in 2012 by the Colorado School of Public Health found that fracking is exposing people who live near the wells to known toxic hydrocarbons, such as xylene, ethylbenzene and toluene, chemicals known to cause respiratory and neurological problems.
More information can be found at dontfrackOH.org.
CONTACT: taskohio@gmail.com
Click HERE to RSVP
Earth Day Film and Discussion at the Canton Palace Theatre April 19th, 2012
15 AprCantonfilm.com
605 Market Avenue N.
Canton, Ohio 44702
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Local Colleges, Environmental Activists Team Up for Documentary Screening
Canton, Ohio (April 10, 2012)— Kent State University at Stark, Stark State College, University of Mount Union, the Herbert W. Hoover Foundation, and a local student group called Take Action, Spread Knowledge (T.A.S.K.) have teamed up to present the documentary, Y.E.R.T.: Your Ecological Road Trip on April 19, 2012, at the Canton Palace Theatre. Y.E.R.T. is the chronicle of three filmmakers who travel together to each of the 50 states in search of sustainability projects. Along the way, they meet many interesting characters, overcome the hardships of three people living in a 2006 Ford Escape Hybrid, and prove that sustainability is something that individuals can accomplish in spite of legislative gridlock on environmental matters.
After the film, there will be a short discussion panel with representatives from Cantonfilm.com, Breezy Hill Farms, KSU at Stark, Stark State College, University of Mount Union, and T.A.S.K., focusing on sustainability options in Northeast Ohio.
The film starts at 7:30 PM. Tickets are just $5.00, and include organic popcorn and beverages.
About T.A.S.K.–Take Action Spread Knowledge (T.A.S.K.) is a community activism group that promotes clean energy and sustainability. Through educational events, and organized demonstrations, T.A.S.K. promotes awareness of the dangers of bad environmental policy. Visit http://task.ohio.org for more information.
About Cantonfilm.com—Cantonfilm.com is dedicated to promoting the talent within North East Ohio’s filmmaking and creative community. Through sponsoring events such as the Canton Film Fest, as well as through education, Cantonfilm.com strives to put North East Ohio on the independent filmmaking map. Visit http://cantonfilm.com for more information.
About Breezy Hill Farm—Breezy Hill Farm is an environmentally-friendly farm located in Homeworth, Ohio. Using time-tested techniques such as crop rotation and soil-nurturing natural manures, Breezy Hill Farm grows quality produce while maintaining a minimal impact on the environment. Visit http://breezyhillfarmohio.com for more information.
About the Canton Palace Theatre—The Canton Palace Theatre is one of most recognizable landmarks of downtown Canton. Built in the 1920s, the beautiful Palace Theatre began its restoration in the 1980s, and is once again the keystone of Canton’s arts and culture.
Contact Information:
James Waters II
330-284-9233
james@cantonfilm.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xb1ohS8buws
http://www.yert.com/video.php#SignTop
Calling all kayakers and canoers!
28 Mar soliticing paddlers
I’m planning to kayak the length of the Cuyahoga, hopefully this May or early June, to bring regional awareness of the plans the gas industry has for us – 300 5+ acre gas wells in Geauga county alone (where I live). If you aren’t aware the the subject of “fracking”, I summarize it in the PDF (scroll down). But this isn’t just about fracking, it’s about how it came to be that the industry has managed to get where it is – by dumping money into the political process, working with states to consolidate control over drilling decisions without local input, and mis-informing the public as the the history and safety of this method of deep shale gas extraction.
READ MORE…
Ohio Congressman signs letter against Gasland film
25 MarRead below the response of Congressmae regarding the choice in Gasland as one of the 29 films chosen for the 2012 American Film Showcase.Here is a link to all of the films being showcased: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2012/02/183627.htm
