by Tara Zrinski In the years that I have been part of the active opposition to the PennEast Pipeline and fracking in Pennsylvania as local organizer for Food and Water Watch and through Pennsylvania Voters Against Fracking, I have seen a dynamic and exciting rise to action from people of all ages from all different backgrounds—socio-economic, racial, political, philosophical … [Read more...] about Renewable Energy vs. Fracking & Pipelines
fossil fuels
Forgoing Fossil Fuels, Finally
By Rebecca Canright One of the greatest flaws of human nature is our urge to resist change in favor of stability. In America, many of us cling to our current way of life —our big, oil-hungry cars and homes, our destructive industrial food system, and our innumerable electronic gadgets that come with the conveniently hidden costs of unethical labor and environmental … [Read more...] about Forgoing Fossil Fuels, Finally
2 More Oil Train Derailments
Two trains carrying crude oil derailed and caught fire this week: one in rural Ontario on the 14th, and one in Fayette County WV on Monday the 16th. The Ontario fires were still burning on Monday. Each tank car carries about 30,000 gallons of crude, and the train in West Virginia was carrying explosive crude from the Bakken Shale in North Dakota; the results show in the … [Read more...] about 2 More Oil Train Derailments
Is explosive crude oil traveling through your community?
Trainloads of crude oil from the Bakken shale in ND do pass through the Valley — and these trains travel through the center of Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton, often right next to the Lehigh River. This raises major safety concerns and serious questions about how to protect people. The Wall Street Journal's map of rail shipments estimates 1–10 trains/wk on the Norfolk … [Read more...] about Is explosive crude oil traveling through your community?
Photos of recent crude oil derailments
Most trains reach their destinations safely, of course. Derailments are not common, but— but when a train carrying explosive crude or natural gas does derail and catch fire, the results can be disastrous, as the photos below show. December 2013 – Casselton, ND April 2014 – Lac-Mégantic, Quebec: November 2013 – Pickens County, Alabama: … [Read more...] about Photos of recent crude oil derailments
PennEast Pipeline – a threat to communities
On Thursday, November 20, Nurture Nature Center held a program on 'Pipeline Science: Environmental Considerations for Communities'. Presentations by Dr. Dru Germanoski, Professor of Geology at Lafayette College, and Mark Gallagher, consultant with Princeton Hydro, outlined the risks presented by the geology in some of the areas on the route for the PennEast Pipeline and … [Read more...] about PennEast Pipeline – a threat to communities
‘April’, by Sarah Mantz
In 1994, this poem by Sarah Mantz, then a sophomore at Salisbury High School, was selected as a winner in an Earth Day writing contest sponsored by the Lehigh County Office of Solid Waste Management. (Her winning poem was also published in Echoes Magazine.) Her poem seems to fit not only this month, but the ecosystem-threatening times in which we live: April I am the fourth … [Read more...] about ‘April’, by Sarah Mantz
FYI: F**cking Pennsylvania
The headline actually refers to Fracking, which is obscene in more ways than the other F-word. Here are a few updates on the quantities of radioactive materials being released into our environment, a look at the corruption created by fracking and what could be done instead, and what you can do to reduce your fracking [& carbon] footprint. Take a few minutes to look at … [Read more...] about FYI: F**cking Pennsylvania
“Pennsylvanians’ Pledge to Fight Shale Gas Industry Encroachment and Pollution”
From Berks Gas Truth re: Saying No to Gas Drilling in Pennsylvania. Take The Pledge We will fight for our air. We will fight for our water. We will fight for our food. We will fight for our HEALTH. We will fight for our families. We will fight for our homes. We will fight for our farms. We will fight for our COMMUNITIES. We will fight for our safety. We will fight for our … [Read more...] about “Pennsylvanians’ Pledge to Fight Shale Gas Industry Encroachment and Pollution”
‘Progress’, a poem by Lisa J. Parker
…on the human effects of coal mining and other resource extraction industries: Progress In a ton of black gold boring through the fatness of the Blue Ridge on the Clinchfield freight lines, three generations are trapped. The first generation talks in short bursts of emphysemic speech, trying to stand straight, coughing quietly while the second generation glorifies the … [Read more...] about ‘Progress’, a poem by Lisa J. Parker