Is fracking an issue for Vermonters? It would appear that this question was answered decisively last year when Vermont became the first state in the union to ban fracking, along with the importation and storage of the toxic wastewater associated with that process. When Governor Shumlin signed H.464 on May 17, 2013, he did so with awareness that fracking has contaminated ground water in states like Texas, Wyoming, and Pennsylvania, and that Congress has exempted hydraulic fracturing from regulation under the Clean Water and Safe Drinking Water Act. The Governor noted that "Very soon there is going to be a shortage of clean water on this planet. Drinking water will be more valuable than oil or natural gas. Human beings have survived for thousands of years without oil or natural gas. We have never known humanity or life on this planet to survive without clean water." Shumlin again demonstrated his grasp of the climate crisis this past February when, in support of Senator Bernie Sander’s co-sponsorship of the Senate’s Climate Protection Bill, he stated, “We cannot act quickly enough to move our nation and our planet off fossil fuels, reduce carbon emissions, and promote safe, renewable sources of energy.” All well and good. But as President Obama, for one, has demonstrated on all too many occasions, fine sounding words from politicians mouths don’t necessarily translate into commensurate deeds, especially when they bump up against the bottom-line needs of the corporate world. And while the fracking ban is positive, it’s largely symbolic because Vermont has little to no natural gas or oil. The real test of where we, as a state, stand on this issue, arrives when our elected and appointed officials are confronted with a fossil fuel corporation which seeks to pursue a project in Vermont that is contrary to the values and sentiments expressed by our Governor. Such a moment is now. Read More ➤ Photo by Vermont Views: Natural colors and textures
Posted on: Mon, 29 Jul 2013 15:12:16 +0000
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