Pa. must invest in clean energy jobs
Pennsylvania has been exploited by cutting, drilling, mining and extracting our resources for so long, we have institutionalized the process.
Our proxy legislators are pawns of the fossil fuel industry to the detriment of clean energy development.
Our representatives claim appreciation for the amazing beauty and natural resources of the state, but protecting and maintaining them are last on their priority list.
Time after time our legislators have proven there is nothing they would not compromise to please big oil; not our woods and watershed, nor our state forests and parks.
They are now considering removing the Department of Environmental Protection completely from the permitting process for new natural gas wells.
Thousands of good paying clean energy jobs have been lost because dirty fuel providers conspire with our legislators to subsidize oil over solar, natural gas instead of wind.
The saddest part of this planned degradation of our environmental laws, agencies, and enforcement is that they sacrifice our children’s legacy for so little.
Many of our legislators do it for a measly campaign contribution that provides them just enough to remain in office year after year.
Political stagnation and the resulting corruption prevents Pennsylvania from becoming a place where our young people want to remain, educate their children, and offer hope for a better future.
The Marcellus Shale Coalition pleads for less regulation but offers no strategy for Pennsylvania other than injecting millions of gallons of toxic fracking fluids into the earth.
Their fundamental claim to safety is based upon the argument that although fracking chemicals are very toxic, drillers are putting them so deep in the ground, they can never make their way back to our drinking water.
This claim is false and ignores the verified risks of failing wells. It is a proven fact that all wells fail over time, including every new Marcellus well.
There are also hundreds of thousands of abandoned and orphan wells left over from previous drilling since the mid 19th century that provide a perfect poison sewer back to our aquifers. Drillers refuse to even talk about these.
The bottom line is that anyone can drill a hole in the ground.
Big oil is only interested in the billions they can realize by continuing old dirty fossil fuel development.
Our children’s future lies in clean energy and Pennsylvania risks everything if it doesn’t invest in clean energy jobs now before other states with smarter legislators figure this out. — Michael Shaw Director of Field
Research Berks Gas Truth
Kutztown