Because I expect Hillary Clinton to be the eventual Democratic nominee, I have been very happy to watch Bernie Sanders push her to the left on issue after issue. There is, however, one key issue on which Hillary has positioned herself to far right. On this issue especially, she needs to take heed of Bernie’s superior stance and move. Hillary, thou shalt not FRACK!
Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders both claim to oppose fracking, but only one of them has plans to ban it.
During Sunday’s Democratic presidential debate in Flint, Michigan, where environmental issues are especially critical as residents grapple with a water contamination crisis, moderators asked the candidates where they stand on the controversial gas extraction method that involves injecting chemicals and water deep underground.
Clinton answered, "I don’t support it when any locality or any state is against it, number one. I don’t support it when the release of methane or contamination of water is present. I don’t support it, number three, unless we can require that anybody who fracks has to tell us exactly what chemicals they are using. By the time we get through all of my conditions, I do not think there will be many places in America where fracking will continue to take place."
Sanders countered, "My answer is a lot shorter. No, I do not support fracking."
As the audience applauded, Sanders added, "This is a crisis we’ve got to deal with now."…
Inserted from <Common Dreams>
I agree 100% with Bernie. That said, even Hillary’s position is far superior to those if every remaining occupant of the Clown Car.
11 Responses to “Thou Shalt Not FRACK!”
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On many issues I would agree with Hillary's basic stand here. As long as you don't kill me, if someone wants to kill themself, I won't stand in their way. But with fracking, their desire to kill themselves DOES kill me with it. And no, I can't accept that. But then you knew I was for Bernie. And BTW – I'm so glad they asked!
Go Bernie!!!!! Fracking should be illegal. Right now, Lone Pine Resources is suing the Canadian and Québec governments for $250 million because they want to frack the St Lawrence River where Québec has declared a moratorium. The decision is sitting with a NAFTA tribunal. If there should be any leak, the contamination would affect not only the river, but also the Atlantic Ocean. That is not acceptable!
FRACKING has got to GO!!! Here in OK, there are SEVERAL earthquakes EVERY DAY!!! Somewhere in this state, right now, there is an earthquake happening! We usually have at LEAST 5 day. Some days there are more, some less. But that is the average. And there are some that are 2.0 and some are 5.0's. It just matters more when it hits a place that is inhabited, (mostly rich people) and if there is a lot more damage. We live with this every day and it is unending!!! BERNIE has the RIGHT IDEA!!! NO FRACKING ANYWHERE!!!
I'm with Bernie, once again, every time, but I do not think he hasa chance towin the nomination. Hillary's position is,as noted, way better than that odf any GOPig. Besides, we need a Dem in the Oval office for the next round of SCOTUS nominations!!!
In the debate she'd already softened her support of fracking from her first policy statement. I loved the way Bernie could talk about the scientists from around the world he's talked to about such issues from his committee work.
I am pro Bernie, but expect Clinton to win the nomination. He has moved her to more progressive notions just by campaigning against her. I would ban all fracking, along with mountain top removal coal mining.
Fracking should be made illegal. Our waters are too precious to waste on fracking. Fracking causes earthquakes, puts toxic chemicals into the waters and into the air. Companies are not required to disclose what chemicals they use in its fracking techniques.
"According to the website of Physicians for Social Responsibility, “While the precise ‘chemical cocktail’ used may vary from company to company, a number of the known chemicals, including benzene products, formaldehyde, and petroleum distillate, are known carcinogens or toxins which would render water permanently undrinkable.”
Clinton is positioning herself to sound like she is against fracking now but will continue to allow it once she is president. She will just say that her conditions are being met.
Hillary Clinton has strong ties with fracking – she pushed other countries in trying/using it when she was Secretary of State – and the conditions under which she will allow show that the ties are still there. Her conditions are always met when new fracking is allowed: there's no one to oppose it yet officially and water isn't polluted yet, both take a while and there still are no laws in place to force companies to reveal the chemicals in fracking, so that will tak a while too. So in fact she doesn't oppose fracking and she certainly doesn't want to ban it.
I'm glad the question was finally asked, because it shows that Hillary is corporate at heart and will always remain so no matter what she says to get voters away from Bernie Sanders. In case of fracking she couldn't even go all the way like Bernie did. Bernie is my man and I'd wish for America's sake he was yours too.
Thanks all!!! Hugs!!
BIG NEWS! Dimock family wins court case against fracking company
Yesterday two families from Dimock, PA, a town that has become emblematic of water contamination cause by fracking, won a historic victory against the industry. A federal jury awarded the Ely and Hubert families $4.25 million after determining that Cabot Oil and Gas contaminated their water.
This is HUGE! When Dimock’s water was contaminated in 2008 it was a dire warning shot fired to the rest of the world letting them know what happens when fracking comes to town. Any town, state or country that now has a fracking ban owes a large debt of gratitude to the Elys and other families in Dimock who spoke up about what was happening to them.
Speaking up wasn't easy.
The fracking industry PR machine threw everything they had to try to bring these families down, but they persevered for years determined to tell their story before a jury of their peers in court. This victory should serve as an important precedent, with families harmed by fracking all over the country now taking the industry to court.
More at: https://ecowatch.com/2016/03/10/cabot-dimock-fracking-case/
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