The Fracking Menace
A short time ago, in the echoing halls of California's capitol building...
The room became silent as the Governor removed the cap of the pen. Pages were turned. The room was still. The encroachment of the pen stirred the anticipation. And as the pen bled onto the paper, a once arduous ordeal was locked away into the past.
Springing Optimism And Faded Summers
With unanimous support, the California Democratic Party passed a resolution at the state convention earlier this year, calling for a moratorium on Fracking. As summer approached, our optimism grew. With overwhelming support from environmental groups, 58% of California voters, the democratic party's resolution, and three moratorium bills up for consideration, the environmental community was infused with a sense of preordained accomplishment.
By summer's end, however, the once optimistic anti-fracking coalition was united once again in humiliating defeat. We sent him ~250,000 petitions, made ~50,000 phone calls, and sent ~30,000 emails and letters. Unfortunately, OXY, WSPA, and Chevron were able to masquerade our demands with exaggerated jobs numbers and millions of dollars in campaign contributions.
“SB4 could be viewed as a pro-fracking bill dressed up as an anti-fracking piece of legislation.” 1 So, while SB 4 "sounds as if it is regulating fracking, it is actually putting fracking on a fast track.”
Democracy Lost. Freedom Loading...
Our overwhelming demands for a moratorium were muted as the tip of the pen marked into law, the infamous Senate Bill 4. The room erupted in applause as Jerry Brown's legacy as a climate champion was officially smothered by the dark, deviant fingerprints of big oil and gas. Despite widespread opposition from the environmental community, industry money delivered a magniloquent speech, muting once again, the voices of the people.
SB 4 will now allow "fracking to continue unabated while agencies draft regulations and investigate environmental impacts. Hundreds, possibly thousands of wells may be drilled before the study is completed. Environmentalists believe it is irresponsible -- and downright criminal -- to allow fracking while environmental problems potentially associated with the drilling technique are still uncertain." 2 Thus, "SB 4 brings widespread fracking in California a step closer." 3
Let's Talk About Jobs, Jobs, Economy, & Jobs...
Lurching in the shadows of our elected leaders were the misleading whispers of jobs by the millions. Woven deep within the fabric of their political clothing lies the repugnant stench of false promises. “A report mostly funded by the Western States Petroleum Association (WSPA) predicted billions of dollars and millions of jobs from California’s next black gold rush." 4
A speaker for the oligarchs, Catherine Reheis-Boyd, of the Western States Petroleum Association, commented on the signing of the bill. "We now have an environmental platform on which California can look toward the opportunity to responsibly develop the enormous potential energy resource contained in the Monterey Shale formation." 5
"Although the bill contains some environmentalist provisions, generally, it should promote fracking, which would lead to California jobs creation and higher tax revenues." 1
The Best Regulations Money Can Buy. How Injustice Becomes Law.
Before Jerry Brown signed the perilous bill to greatly expand fracking operations in California, "the governor accepted at least $2.49 million in financial donations over the past several years from oil and natural gas interests, according to public records on file with the Secretary of State's Office and the California Fair Political Practices Commission.” 5
Our leaders have willingly trapped themselves within a bubble of personal achievement, a glut of profitable bribery, and the bliss of sheer ignorance. This bubble has been coated with an impermeable barrier of willfully blind exuberance and rhetorical nonsense. As the applause subsided within the press-filled room, whispers echoed about, as the Governor gave them his attention. With his forced smile, and the luminous snap of another Kodak moment, a law had been signed, and the fracking menace was born.
Governor Brown can talk about Climate Change and Environmental Policy all he wants. So long as he advocates for Fracking, the twin-tunnels, and the weakening of CEQA provisions, any expressed concerns that Brown makes for the environment should be taken with a grain of salt.
Bringing Balance To The Fractivist Force
Flustered, flabbergasted, pessimistic, confused. Everyone was asking the same question: What do we do now? For me, the answer was simple: We needed to make it abundantly clear to Jerry Brown that his climate legacy is severely threatened by his promotion of hydraulic fracturing. As it stands now, Jerry Brown's positive view on fracking is unacceptable, unpopular, and utterly naive.
"The issue here is about how Governor Brown wants to be remembered, and his history, and what his legacy is going to be in California," said Victoria Kaplan. "Is he going to be remembered as the governor who backtracked on his commitment to addressing climate change?" 6
And then the message became clear. On the first night of the three-day event, PowerShift 2013, Josh Fox took the stage to talk to the thousands of Power-Shift members. Then he delivered the one line that would soon define the future of California fractivism: "When those democratic candidates don't stand up for the majority of the people; when the organizers call upon you to Bird-Dog those candidates, those men and women seeking to represent this state, you Bird-Dog 'em until they support the moratorium." 7
It was settled then. Until we have a moratorium on Fracking in California, Jerry Brown can expect a spirited crowd of heckling fractivists wherever he goes.
And this is where our story begins...
October 17th, 2013 : Brown And Green Don't Allign
My first co-organized event would soon become one attempt among many in a state-wide effort to do exactly what Josh Fox had recommended---to bird-dog Governor Jerry Brown. We would travel to every event that he planned on attending, and demand that he place a moratorium on Fracking in California.
"Over 60 people, including indigenous leaders, environmentalists and labor activists, gathered at the Le Parc Hotel in San Francisco to protest the Blue Green Alliance’s honoring of Governor Jerry Brown with its “Right Stuff” Award..." ~Dan Bacher, Daily Kos 8 "Faced with the protest condemning his anti-environmental policies, Brown apparently decided to back out from receiving the award."
"The protest was organized by a group of individuals unaffiliated with national environmental organizations who were galvanized by Brown’s most recent assault on the environment: the green lighting of fracking in California."
8
"SB 4 provides reassurance to the fossil fuel industry that fracking and related practices can continue in California while the state crafts its regulations." 9 The bill specifies that "DOGGR "shall allow" fracking and other well enhancement techniques before that scientific report comes out, as long as the drillers abide by a few rules" 9
“Jerry Brown ignored the majority of Californians and the rank and file of the Democratic Party who support a moratorium on fracking,” said organizer Damien Luzzo.8
It was a great night filled with protests, speeches and education. I was very encouraged to see so many new faces at this event, including many folks who were there to represent labor. Without any confrontation, our efforts made some commotion as Governor Brown cancelled his attendance to the event earlier that day. We were able to pass out hundreds of fliers detailing his real, abysmal, environmental record. In fact, we were able to get nearly a hundred of these fliers passed out inside the event before me and several others were escorted out of the hotel.
Since then, local communities have geared up to defend their lands from the destructive process that frackers are eager to unleash. I have engaged my efforts with several different communities in Yolo County, Sacramento County, Sutter County, and the Bay Area as they have established the frameworks for their own local anti-fracking coalitions. Communities across the state are rising up to demand a statewide moratorium.
October 18th, 2013 : Fresnans Say No To Fracking
A citizens group called "Fresnans against Fracking" gathered at City Hall. Group chairman, Gary Lasky said they are worried the process will contaminate our water supply. "Our drinking water depends on clean underground water & our aquifer and underground water needs to be protected." ~Gene Haagenson 10
October 19th, 2013 : Shafter Residents Speak Out Against Fracking Contamination
"Dozens in Shafter protested Saturday morning, speaking out against the oil wells drilled in their neighborhood. Residents say the fracked wells are contaminating the air & water." 11
October 28th, 2013 : Bay Area Fracking Opposition Heats Up
It's very unlikely that Governor Brown will be able to avoid the fracking issue in the near future. This may very well turn into the make or break issue that defines his legacy.
"Brown is out of step with the California electorate," said rose Braz and Bill Snape, "If Brown values his legacy as a climate leader, he needs to halt fracking in California. The governor needs to face the facts: Climate leaders don't frack."
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"As Brown waxed poetic about the dangers of climate change Monday, about 50 people carried signs outside the event protesting his fracking policy. As part of an increasingly energetic campaign, environmentalists have begun picketing and protesting the governor whenever he appears... to point out what they see as hypocrisy." ~Paul Rogers
12 "Brown said he saw no contradiction in calling climate change "the world's greatest existential challenge" while refusing to impose a moratorium on fracking."
12
"To see the governor support fracking at a climate change event is terribly ironic." Says Kassie Siegel (CBD) "Gov. Brown is a climate leader, but supporting fracking can undermine all that he has done." 12
October 29th, 2013 : Whittier Hills vs. Matrix Oil
With tensions brewing across the state, I drove down to Los Angeles to speak out against the proposed Whittier Hills oil project that was set to be leased by Matrix Oil. "117 people signed up to speak before the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors." ~Steve Scauzillo, San Gabriel Valley Tribune
13
“We saw a fracking frenzy in Pennsylvania. You have an excellent opportunity here today to make a statement. But to also learn from the mistakes of others and the mistakes that we made,” Lance Simmens, former policy analyst to Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell." 13
When the comments had been made, Supervisor Molina called for the motion to deny the Matrix Oil lease and to uphold the promise of Proposition A by properly preserving the ecological integrity of the lands throughout Whittier Hills in perpetuity.
14
The roll call of votes commenced with the perpetual echoing of "Aye". Then Supervisor Ridley-Thomas concluded the hearing: “Please record a unanimous vote.” 14
The room erupted with applause, and a contagious smile swept throughout the audience. We had defeated the Matrix Oil project with a 5-0 vote.
This was my testimony:
"My name is Damien Luzzo.
I come here because this is a really big issue that is affecting not just Whittier hills, but all of California. More than 70 percent of voters in California favor banning or heavily regulating chemical injections into the ground to tap oil and natural gas. And 58 percent of California voters want a ban or moratorium on unconventional oil and gas drilling. The climate fight is no longer just about impacts in the future; it's about the physical and moral consequences now. It's a moral referendum that reflects our willingness to do the simplest thing we must do to avert catastrophic climate disruption: Stop making things worse. Specifically and categorically, we must stop this addiction. We must stop making large, long term investments into new fossil fuel infrastructure. Our opportunity to avert catastrophic climate disruption will be lost forever without an immediate shift away from dirty oil and gas extraction. I urge you all to lead on this issue and to say no to this oil project." 14
November 1st, 2013 : Dinner, Money, and Politics
"The purpose of Friday’s Fracking summit was "to provide as much balanced information as possible on the “highly controversial issue,” which will likely be a hot topic in California." Writes Rob Parsons.15 "Opponents such as the Sierra Club’s Merced Group believe there is no such thing as safe fracking."
“We heard a number of elected officials talk about safe fracking, but no one really defined what they meant,” said Gary Lasky, a Sierra Club spokesman. “They say fracking has been going on for over 40 years, but what they’re doing now is not your father’s fracking.” 15 From the other side of the debate, "Reheis-Boyd said finding a way to produce oil in California “the right way, the safe way” is critical to the state’s future." 15
Catherine Reheis-Boyd is the president of the Western States Petroleum Association who has positioned itself as one of the largest donors to the Democratic Party over the last few years. Besides purchasing policies from Governor Brown's office, the WSPA has been an instrumental force in the weakening of SB 4. In fact, they were kind enough to treat some of our assembly members with a generous $13,000 dinner the night before the assembly voted to pass SB 4.
"The word is "Pay-to-Play-politics" where the "pay" is a five course meal at one of Sacramento, California's toniest restaurants. The "play" is to take pre-written amendments that water down a landmark fracking bill... The payer for [the] $13,000 dinner for twelve California lawmakers was the WSPA." 16
"Moderate Democrats seemed to be the target audience for the treat: Assembly members Adam Gray, Henry Perea and Cheryl Brown attended, as did Senators Norma Torres, Ron Calderon and Lou Correa." Laurel Rosenhall writes.
17 "For Perea, Correa, Calderon and Torres, the September dinner was not the first time they'd been treated to The Kitchen by the oil industry. They were among 11 legislators who attended a WSPA dinner there last year, valued at ~ $11,000."
17
November 4th, 2013 : When Governor Brown Fracks, Sac Town Fights Back
Zack Malitz (CREDO Action) and Ross Hammond (Friends of The Earth) met with concerned Sacramento residents at the Sierra Club headquarters to lay out the framework for an "UnFrack Sac" bird-dogging coalition. Questions were asked, concerns were addressed, and ten minutes after the group became official, we were out on the streets, headed to Jerry Brown's fundraiser at the Governor's Mansion a few blocks away.
"Fractivists vowed to continue to bird dog the Governor for a moratorium on fracking for oil production until at least ample studies have been conducted and reviewed by the public.” ~Karen Hansen
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"Allowing fracking to continue before environmental impact analyses and approvals are granted and before regulations are completed means that the oil and gas industry will be able to significantly expand their operations in the state without any oversight for the next two years." 2
“Public opinion is on our side. Almost 60% of Californians oppose fracking.” ~Ross Hammond 13
The "Christmas Caroling chorus" of "nearly 50 fractivists" marched in unison with blue & orange signs "luminescing in the Sacramento streets." 18
"Gov. Jerry Brown endures the occasional protest at the California Capitol, but he has largely avoided the inconvenience of any heckling-from-the-sidewalk, traveling demonstrations for nearly three years." ~David Siders (Sac Bee)
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"In recent weeks, however, the Democratic governor has been met at his events by a smattering of environmentalists protesting his support for hydraulic fracturing, commonly called fracking.” 19
"Demonstrators were on hand for a function at the historic governor's mansion in Sacramento on Monday night, and they were loud enough that staff members moved Brown's podium to a side of the house farther from the street." 19
Regulations: Normalizing The Destruction Of Our Planet
A Vision Of Life If We Choose Not To Act
Imagine yourself ten years from now. We will get the landmark regulations in, SB 4 will be the effin bees knees, and hooray for the largest oil producing state in the nation! We'll have our 100,000th Frack-well, the worst air quality in the nation, earthquakes everyday in every county, tons of new jobs aimed at preventing the valley from being flooded by the exponential rising of seas, our 5th new definition of drinkable water, and bankrupt committees being sued up the ass by Occidental and maybe some other corporate douchebags tied up in the Trans Pacific Partnership. But it's okay, we'll be doing great economically, with the strongest regulations in the country on Fracking, and we'll be free to run around like chickens with their heads cut off as we scramble to comprehend a world without fresh water... yay. IPC30 will be the day of a category 8 typhoon and yet again, we'll do nothing about climate as we sit on our asses in our comfortable air-conditioned homes, trying to fathom a world that has passed the two degree threshold. Fracktastic. Well played, apathy, well played.
Do we feel that powerless against this oligarchy? Are we all too tied up in our organization's own goals to be REAL activists? Are we too interested in our political images to stand up and bitch at our governor? What are we doing? Helping them to regulate Fracking? Setting the rules for ecological destruction?
The 11th Hour Commandment: Thou Shalt Not Regulate
My frustration remains contingent on the ongoing debate as to whether regulations on Fracking is, or is not, an effective way to go. In particular, I am frustrated that we, as anti-Fracking activists, are not only continuing to debate the effectiveness of regulations from time to time; but it seems to me that the lack of urgency to engage in more direct solutions to this fracking catastrophe, as it relates to both climate and democracy, is very concerning.
My agony derives itself from the idle complexion of some people in our coalition; in the midst of countless, painfully recognizable truths, that, if seen with eyes wide open, would undoubtedly spark the movement we all desperately seek---A real movement to Ban Fracking in this state.
"Safe Fracking" Is A Fairy Tale. It Doesn't Exist
At this point, it's no longer my strong opinion, it is a scientific reality, that shale development and unconventional oil and gas extraction is not and cannot be performed safely. And no amount of regulation is going to change that. Climate scientists give us 10 to 15 years to completely end the extraction of fossil fuels. If we fail to do this, it's game over. And when I say game over, I don't mean a loss of a life and a restart at the check-point; I mean game console explosion. Even if there is a complete methane capture process sometime in the near future, burning that oil is game over. But they won't fully cap these wells, they can't prevent cement casings from failing (it's quite literally, physically impossible to do so). Even if it was only a natural gas process, we lose yet again.
The point I stress is the need for one, clearly defined goal: End fossil fuel consumption. For our current aim, that means absolutely no Fracking. None whatsoever. Does regulating it stop it from occurring? No. Not at all. It changes the surrounding community's path of suffering, perhaps. Maybe they won't die from cancer because their water was contaminated (assuming SB 4 helps), but they'll die from dehydration a few years later when Fracking uses all the water. And the less water they use, the more nosebleeds and neurological diseases they'll get, because less water will likely mean more hydrochloric and hyroflouric acid filling the air from their acidization stimulation.
It doesn't matter what sized cookie cutter you use. No matter what you do, you are cutting a cookie. And our planet is relying on us to ensure that its’ remaining cookie dough of integrity remains uncut.
Tell These Frackers To Shove It
The mantras we must react to : "Take back your sovereign rights as people", "Fight for nature's rights to subsist sustainably", "Bird-Dog Governor Brown like there ain't no tomorrow", "Organize your communities and tell your government what it can and cannot do within your city & help out your neighboring communities as they face their own battles", "Go out, educate, & never be silent", and finally, Tell these oil and gas oligarchs: "No. This is our community, our planet, our air, our water, our rights. You & your little Frackers aren't welcome here. So please, Go Frack Yourself!"
The California Mantra: We WILL get a Fracking moratorium. If we truly focus on this and honestly begin to share this one aim... If we can share one common belief, that Fracking is more than just some run-of-the-mill threat... If we can all arrive at the same moral understanding that unconventional oil and gas development is a despicable, unethical defamation of our planet, a hazard to our health, and a mockery of our democratic sovereignty... If we can agree on these conclusions; if we can be bold with our efforts; and if we can work together, then I promise you, a fracking moratorium will happen.
Complacency is Failure, Apathy is Forfeit
"A little more persistence, a little more effort, and what seemed hopeless failure may turn to glorious success." ― Elbert Hubbard
If we lose, then what have we lost compared to not trying? I have always believed that the courage to try is more important than the end result. If you never try, then you will never create that future possibility. Think of it like flipping a coin. Suppose a sustainable planet was heads, and tails is game over. Suppose you have 30 seconds before you automatically forfeit your coin flipping ability. That's what we're dealing with here today.
If it's tails, or if we wait too long, then we are screwed either way. But if we don't flip the coin, then a sustainable planet has no chance. Suppose, for each additional person that joins the coin flipping conviction, that our probability of a sustainable planet increases. We must work on this together; one message, one goal, and one synchronized conviction.
“The likelihood that your acts of resistance cannot stop the injustice does not exempt you from acting in what you sincerely and reflectively hold to be the best interests of your community.”
― Susan Sontag
Happy Belated Earth Day
April 22nd, 1970 was the first Earth Day and look at where we are now. Things are getting out of control and things aren’t getting better; they are getting worse. And I would personally rather die trying to do the impossible than to remain complacent and do what is easy, only to witness the effects of two degrees Celsius, knowing that things could have been different if I had only tried while we had the chance to make a difference.
"It always seems impossible until its done." ― Nelson Mandela
Flip the damn coin.
To Be Continued . . .
(1) CA Democrats pass pro-fracking bill |October 2, 2013 | Wayne Lusvardi
(2) Loopholes in California's New Fracking Legislation Could Allow Drilling to Continue Unabated | Sofia Plagakis | 9/24/2013
(3) Fracking is coming to California: Kemp | November 21, 2013 | News Source
(4) A California Fracking Moratorium Post-Mortem | RL MILLER | SEPTEMBER 16, 2013
(5) Fracking Jerry Brown | By Robert Gammon | October 02, 2013
(6) Jerry Brown heckled over fracking | DAVID SIDERS | The Sacramento Bee | December 1, 2013
(7) Here is the link to Josh Fox's speech at PowerShift 2013
(8) Brown fails to show for Environmental Award under pressure from protestDan Bacher | October 19th, 2013
(9) 5 Things California's Fracking Bill Will Do | Chris Clarke | September 27, 2013
(10) Debate over Fracking heats up in Fresno | Gene Haagenson | October 18th, 2013
(11) Anti-Fracking protest held in Shafter | By kget.com | October 19th, 2013
(12) Fracking and reducing climate change: Can Jerry Brown have it both ways?10/29/2013 | By Paul Rogers
(13) The Green Way: Whittier oil project splatters across the county Steve Scauzillo, San Gabriel Valley Tribune | 11/02/13
(14) The Whittier Hills hearing Transcript | 10/29/2013
(15) Fracking summit draws crowd at UC Merced | ROB PARSONS | November 1, 2013
(16) How oil and gas industry lobbyists control fracking law in CaliforniaSubmitted by Xenonlit | November 07th, 2013
(17) Oil industry treated California legislators to $13K dinner as fracking bill loomedNovember 4, 2013 | Laurel Rosenhall
(18) Fractivists got Jerry Brown last night at the Governor’s MansionKaren Hansen, Examiner.com | November 5, 2013
(19) Anti-fracking protesters dog Jerry Brown | David Siders | November 5, 2013
Here is a short video of the Governor Brown protesting.
(20) Climate Leaders Don’t Frack | By Bill Snape and Rose Braz | 10/23/13