GR: This story accuses frackers of ignoring environmental responsibilities. It sounds like some of the stories we hear about the coal, oil, and gas sectors of the energy industry–Hey wait, it also sounds like the GMO, pesticide, fertilizer industry, the military arms industry, the transportation industry, the financial industry, the building industry, the logging industry, the grazing industry, the politics industry, . . . . Too much. Is human industry inevitably destructive? Perhaps Jesus and Marx were simply naïve about human nature and in reality inequity and materialism will always rule. How will nature survive us?
As Denton seeks to become the first city in Texas to ban fracking, the industry is trying to frame the fight in economic terms. But that turns out to be a poor choice.
Fracking is the only industrial activity in the city of Denton, Texas that is allowed in residential areas (sometimes less than 200 feet from homes). Not even bakeries are allowed there. Fracking is also the only industry allowed to emit non-disclosed chemicals into the environment. That’s why I am helping to lead Frack Free Denton, a citizens’ initiative that takes the oh-so-radical step of prohibiting the most toxic, under-regulated and secretive industry from operating the closest to places where children live and play.
Normally, this would be the stuff of sane and rational, even boring, adjustments to the city code. But because we are talking about the natural gas industry, lots of rich and powerful folks are tarring us as extremists.
By Adam Briggle, Truthout | Op-Ed: truth-out.org
