EPA Hearings in NY: August 12th

For any people who care to take the stand in front of the EPA regarding their experiences with hydrofracking, the big day is August 12th. The EPA wants to hear information that relates to key study elements:

* data & information on impacts
* chemical fate & transport issues
* case studies (site-specific nominations are welcome)
* monitoring needs pre, during, post drilling
* issues of well integrity

They are also interested in resources from organizations, and should be encouraged to use citizen-based science/data gathered on the ground.

For registration information, please go to
http://hfmeeting.cadmusweb.com/RegistrationForm.aspx.

For more information on the meetings, visit:
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/uic/wells_hydrofrac.html

Each person will get 2 minutes to speak, and if you can make it you really should, since the "other" side will do their best to fill the auditorium with loud, pro-drilling voices.

The Extremes

Good news first, I guess. Today, July 28 2010, the United Nations voted to make Fresh Water a basic human right. I think this is a grand statement, and although (the last I heard) the US was set to OPPOSE this measure, I think it recognizes the importance of fresh water to the sustenance of all life on earth, and the fragility of this particularly important resource.

Such recognition is surely due, since here in New York our state government seems completely unaware of how precious water really is and too incompetent to protect it.

It should be stated that Hydrofracking is something that's been going on for many years. Why haven't we heard of it before it got to New York? Because those who sign leases are under a gag order; legally bound to keep silent, no matter what. I'm not sure how Josh Fox got those people to demonstrate flames leaping from water in his movie Gasland, but I sure do hope that those citizens will not suffer too horribly for their bravery in standing up to the Hydrofracking corporations and all of their layers of minions. (read: Helliburton)

Hydrofracking has become an issue in NY State because we have all the resources of New York City. We have Pete Seeger. And, New York has people with money who can afford to say "Hell No!" and do everything possible to prevent this disaster from happening.

That's why, suddenly, people are beginning to pay attention. It's a kind of snowball effect.

Which is a good thing, because New York is not the end of the line, by any means. There is gas under Europe - and as soon as they're finished fracking us, they'll frack Paris, and Stuttgart, and Barcelona too. Then North Africa, then.....

All because we continue to demand fossil fuels for our energy, our transportation, and our barbeques.

Recently I took a trip to the Gulf to see how the Great Oil Spill was affecting people's lives down there (enough people are already talking about the marine life). I found a real sad story. The oil was hitting as we drove by - the Florida Panhandle, the Alabama cost, the Mississippi Delta, Lake Ponchartrain. It was the 4th of July weekend, and the very last hurrah of people enjoying watersports and the beaches. But, there just weren't that many people. A few waitresses I spoke to along the way said that tourism was down by half compared to last year. In New Orleans, the Essence Music Festival was happening over the weekend so there was some vibrant tourism going on - but on Monday, it was empty. Unbelievably, achingly, empty.

We had the great fortune to meet a couple in the French Quarter on the 4th of July, when my son befriended their dog. It turns out, the woman grew up just 10 miles from where I live, so they very graciously invited us in for drinks, and we talked for hours. Her husband is Cajun, he talked to us about how that lifestyle on the bayous is going to be destroyed by the oil spill. She told me that the people of New Orleans have a cast iron will - they'll get through anything - but this oil spill is so much worse than Katrina; it's a real test of that iron will. After Katrina, they could pick up a shovel and rebuild. But with the Oil Spill, they are at the mercy of multinational corporations who they just don't trust to get the job done right.

And that's exactly how I feel about hydrofracking in New York, or anywhere - these companies are getting away with murder. Literally. And we "little people" are so blindsided by their lies and manipulations that we don't know what's hit us until it's way, way WAY too late.

I'm making a movie now, about fresh water, which I hope to have finished in a month. Actually, it's a kind of public service message... but in any case, there needs to be a call to action that reaches the 4 corners of the Earth. We have to put pressure on our governments to say NO to these "too big to fail" companies who are destroying our habitat all in the name of profit.

I've heard a bit too much talk lately about moving to Mars, but I'm just not interested..... I love my rivers and streams, my lakes and ponds, my oceans and seas.... I love my fish and birds, salamanders and toads, deer and critters. I love Earth. I want to make Earth work; not throw it away like a used condom.

Ah well, at least the first biosphere on Mars won't be ready in my lifetime. But it sure would be nice to grow old without worrying about where the water is going to come from to brush my teeth and water my garden.

Off to find Real News about the Gulf Oil Spill

Tomorrow I leave for the South, where I will be interviewing people about how the Gulf Spill is affecting their lives. I may or may not have time and access to post as I go, but you can look forward to what I call "Real News" in the weeks ahead.

Happy 4th of July everyone! Remember to grill Carbon Neutral!!

Getting Involved is What Matters

It's so easy to be disillusioned; disheartened; disenfranchised when you look this oily beast in the eye; they've got more money than the rest of the world combined. But tonight, I heard a few people say some things that put steam back in my sails and made me feel like I'm a part of something incredibly important.

The event was a fundraiser for David Sager, who is running for NY State Senate against a longtime, popular senator who has recently changed his tune from "Drill Baby Drill" to "Maybe Drill Next Year". And at first intro, most people say "Oh, he doesn't have a chance" and they write him off, even if they wish he could actually win.

But the reality is that Mr. Sager has the power of believers on his side; people who are fighting tooth and nail with him to prevent New York from becoming a disaster area; to lessen the painful burden of property taxes; and to deal with issues that have been ignored on the state level for too too long.

I felt fortunate to be in this room of people who are fighting so incredibly hard to protect New York. People who have taught me everything I know about hydrofracking... people who know how to make waves, who are well-connected, and who's passion and love for this area is overflowing.

Mark Ruffalo, the actor, was in attendance tonight and in his short speech he said about disheartened people, "Obviously they're not writing enough letters to their senators". What a great get-off-your-behind call to action! And he's perfectly right. It's a simple, fast thing that anyone can do and it makes a tremendous difference!

When David Sager got up to talk he said that his campaign may not be well-financed like his opponent's; but he's on the side of "right", and he's got the "right" people behind him. Looking around the room at the array of people, I had to agree with him. Maybe, in this case, Right Makes Might.

I listened to a man who talked about puttiong his money into creating a farm powered by renewable energy, and about how excited he is for the future of his young son. There was lots of conversation about how to link up the fight against carbon to the renewable energy industry; how to expand the coalitions of the grassroots behind a unified voice.

And may people talked about Wind power - how it's so successful some places, and yet we're doing so little with it when we have such great wind resources.

So .... there is an army of people working tirelessly to save our habitat. Really extraordinary people; not drones. You don't have to feel alone or helpless in this fight.... just do whatever you can to make a difference, and think of all the other people out there who are doing the same.

What is Carbon Negativity?

When you use carbon (ie, oil, coal, gas) you're called "Carbon Positive". People who are carbon positive drive cars, use oil for heat, propane for hot water and grilling, etc. When you don't use any carbon, you're called "Carbon Neutral". These tend to be people who live in net-zero homes, it's a very new concept. And, when you don't use carbon but offset it with renewable energy, you're called "Carbon Negative".

There's an island in Denmark which produces 150% the energy it needs, and sells back that extra 50% (of completely renewable energy) to the grid, netting $6 million per year. For a community of 4,500 people, that's not bad income!!! $1,333 per person per year to be exact.

Why isn't the US leading the pack in Carbon Negativity? It's not like we lack the resources, or the technology, or the manpower... why are we dying a slow, painful death of carbon overload when we could be doing the exact opposite? Like this tiny little community of Danish farmers?

It's time to get yourself off oil. And gas, and everything in between. I have a consultation business in which I help people to live more sustainably, and I can help you change simple things in your life to tread more softly on the earth. Please visit http://www.worldlyvibe.com/sustainability.html.

Isn't it time to change?

The picture above is of a Windmill Expanse in Andalusia, Spain. It's owned and operated by a German energy company, who brings the energy back to Germany. Not ideal - but a start. And that's what we need - someone with the guts to just start the process of changing our reality from a carbon-based energy system to a renewable energy system.

Can You Commit to Change?

Every person I talk to about the Gulf Oil Spill is just sick to their stomach. Horrified; despondent; at their wits end. To me, the back room deals between the regulators and the oil companies and the 3rd party outfitters (Read: Halliburton) are an example of the grandest theft our country has ever seen. Theft of our heritage; our economy; our natural resources. We all ask, "When will this end?" and yet .... nothing changes.

Just the other day, 6 weeks into the oil spill, there was a horrific hydrofracking accident in Pennsylvania which spilled ONE MILLION GALLONS of toxic, deadly hydrofracking fluid into the environment. It was reported in the local paper and that's it! Not a mention in any significant publications. Unthinkable irresponsibility on the part of the media, which of course is the norm.


Right now is a time to stand up and commit to yourself, your family, your country, that you will make a change. Switch from oil to wood heat. Trade your SUV for a Prius. Build a wood-burning BBQ pit. Stop using plastic. Talk to people... engage them in the fight. We have to take individual responsibility to reduce our fossil fuel usage NOW!!


I have been putting some time in helping a candidate for the New York Senate race who's main concern is how Hydrofracking will destroy our beloved state. His name is David Sager and he's running against John Bonacic in the 42nd district (who is pro-drilling). If you can imagine Barack Obama before he entered the senate, you might have a good impression of David - He's pure, he's got game, and his idealism is infectious! I urge you to visit his web site or Facebook page and catch him at any one of many events he'll be attending this year during his senate run.


It really IS time for change. Let's vote these fools out and usher in a new chapter of American history!!!

How Hydrofracking Works

I'm noticing more and more people taking a look at hydrofracking and what it will do to our beautiful Catskill mountains when (IF????) it happens. So here is a synopsis of how it has worked in Pennsylvania and other states:

One large gas company (Cabot, Chesapeake, etc) buys up leases on private land (or public, of the county administration is that gullible).

Once the state government issues the permits to drill, the gas company then subcontracts with drilling companies, construction companies, hauling companies, and cleanup companies, who bring in their teams from other parts of the country. (There are no local hires, and these teams live in what's called "Man Camps"; think prostitution, gambling, excessive alcohol and drug use).

Roads are built, forests are cleared, wellpads are built. Millions and millions of industrial-sized trucks will come in and out during the process, choking the air and ripping up our infrastructure.

These teams do their work, having no connection whatsoever to the place where they are working. If you search "frack dance" on YouTube you will find out what the Halliburton guys do during the day.

It becomes a process of industrialization, which destroys farmland, forests, schoolyards, hilltops, wetlands.... where ever they have a lease and permit, they drill.

They are issued permits to draw water for hydrofracking from local aquifers, lakes and streams. Each frack of a well uses 6 million gallons of water, and each well can be fracked up to 6 times. They are currently estimating 50,000 wells in NY state.

(I guess, who cares if they contaminated the water? There won't be any left for us anyway!)

When a water well is contaminated, or stream, or river, or lake, forever rendering it lethal - the gas company throws up their hands and says, "Hey, it wasn't ME! I subcontracted that job!" and the subcontract company throws up their hands and says, "Hey, I'm just doing my job, don't blame me!" And if that water well happens to be on the property of someone who didn't want hydrofracking in the first place, well, that's called "Collateral Damage". Sorry, Charlie!

After they've fracked the well as much as possible, they cap the well and leave the fracking fluid in a plastic-lined "pond", to evaporate and poison the air over time. 30% of the fracking fluid is left in the ground.

What does the fracking fluid contain? Carcinogens. Mutagens. Neurotoxins. and other highly poisonous, lethal elements.

Finally, what happens to that "Clean" gas? The Answer to America's Energy Independence Needs? Oh, right - it gets sold overseas! Bigger profits that way!