“Proponents of hydraulic fracturing point to the economic benefits from vast amounts of formerly inaccessible hydrocarbons the process can extract. Opponents point to potential environmental impacts, including contamination of ground water, risks to air quality, the migration of gases and hydraulic fracturing chemicals to the surface, surface contamination from spills and flowback, and the health effects of these. For these reasons, hydraulic fracturing has come under scrutiny internationally, with some countries suspending or banning it” (Wikipedia: Hydraulic fracturing).
In an open letter, Hannah-Beth Jackson, California State Senator, has invited the public to attend a Santa Barbara workshop concerning fracking regulations: “The regulation and oversight of the oil and gas extraction process known as hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, have become central environmental issues of our times. Concerns have been raised about fracking’s impact on our drinking water, our public health, our environment, and our economy. In December, the Department of Conservation/Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources (DOGGR) introduced draft fracking regulations. On Friday, April 19, they will hold a workshop in Santa Barbara for the public and other stakeholders to learn more and have their voices heard. These new regulations provide advanced notice, improved testing and monitoring, and better handling of fracking fluid. Several bills are moving through the State Legislature that would provide greater protections than these regulations, including my bill, Senate Bill 395, to regulate the waste water produced from fracking. I hope you will join me in attending this important public workshop.”
UCSB Geography Professor Catherine Gautier will be a guest speaker at a parallel panel discussion and interactive workshop organized by Global Exchange and designed to teach Santa Barbara residents how to enact Community Rights legislation and other grassroots methods of fighting for local environmental justice. That workshop, “California Communities Rising Against Fracking,” will be held in the Faulkner Gallery of the Santa Barbara Public Library, April 19, 6-9 p.m., and Dr. Gautier’s tentative title for her presentation will be “How does fracking relate to climate?” “Global Exchange is an advocacy group and non-governmental organization based in San Francisco. The group’s mission is to promote human rights and social, economic, and environmental justice around the world. The group builds people-to-people ties and engages grassroots education for action and linking social and environmental movements through public education, speaking tours, experiential travel called Reality Tours, and activism” (Wikipedia: Global Exchange).
.png)
