This week, we’ve been looking at the group “Artists Against Fracking” and their misinformation campaign to stop natural gas development in New York. Part I delved into a recent radio campaign by Michelle Williams, and for Part II we’ve been looking at co-founder, Sean Lennon’s, recent opinion piece in the New York Times. So, let’s just take another few moments to Imagine if all these artists took the time to do some real research on natural gas development.…

This week, we’ve been looking at the group “Artists Against Fracking” and their misinformation campaign to stop natural gas development in New York. Part I delved into a recent radio campaign by Michelle Williams, and for Part II we’ll be looking at co-founder, Sean Lennon’s, recent opinion piece in the New York Times. So, let’s just take a few moments to Imagine if all these artists took the time to do some real research on natural gas development.

Sean Lennon isn’t really an artist…

An invasion occurred in the City of Albany, New York on Monday. Groups of antis came from all over to protest gas development coming to New York. The apparent goal of this “Stop The Frack” movement was to show Governor Cuomo how many people are against development. As they flooded the streets with their brown water jugs, colorful signs and summer camp chants one question had to be asked, where were Governor Cuomo and the other politicians this demonstration was aimed at?…

Denise LaTourette says:

As a landowner and business owner, I am greatly concerned about hydraulic fracturing. I have studied both sides of the issue, and based on extensive research and factual science, have determined that I support natural gas harvesting in New York. At the same time, I am extremely dismayed by the fracturing of our communities in this highly emotional issue. On August 22nd and 23rd, the Village of Oxford, New York heard presentations by Mr. Robert Wedlake and David…

Rachael says:

My most entertaining meeting of the past week was one held in Oxford, New York, Chenango County. If you’ll revisit my last post on Oxford you’ll get the background on what has been happening in the area, where both the Town and Village of Oxford (separate but related municipalities) have been addressing natural gas issues. The meeting this past week was an informational meeting with Attorney David Slottje with the Village of Oxford planning board. The village board wants…

Attorney David Slottje, as any reader of this blog knows, has been traversing Upstate New York encouraging towns to enact resolutions limiting natural gas development. What began as bans turned into moratoriums, but the intent has remained the same.  That is to implement as many actions as possible in support of the Community Environmental Defense Council’s mission of protecting “land, air, water, health, and quality of life threatened by…

The North Norwich, New York (Chenango County) town board invited David Slottje (the “Great Davidski“) to speak on the process of enacting a moratorium this past week. The town board, at the outset of the meeting, told the audience Slottje’s invitation didn’t necessarily mean they were looking to enact a moratorium or were against natural gas development, although one has to wonder why they invited him then, given his reputation as a hawker of the Park Foundation agenda. The meeting was, as I…

There was a rather interesting town board meeting in the Town of Smithville, New York, Chenango County, recently. The town board agreed to let a couple speakers (one from each side of the natural gas development debate) come in and speak. The first person to present was a peak oil activist, newsletter editor and “retired geologist,” Brian Brock, from Franklin, New York (he’s apparently been “retired” a long time as he is not listed in any professional group’s database). The second speaker…

Last week the Town of Caroline, located just outside of Ithaca (heart of the anti-natural gas opposition), had a public hearing regarding a possible ban on natural gas development. The hearing was held in the Brooktondale Community Center and residents were allowed to speak for 3 minutes on the potential ban. A majority of residents attending the meeting were for the ban, of course, given the location but, while those opposing it were outnumbered, they seemed to be the only ones who had…

New York State has had a struggling economy now for quite some time, especially in Upstate where farmers are struggling to hold onto their land and businesses have been closing their doors for years. Governor Andrew Cuomo has realized New York needs more help than ever and is now trying to reach out to private sector businesses and encourage people to support New York businesses. Today the state launched a brand new marketing campaign, including a website in hope of helping the "New" New…

Early this morning, the two of us, together with Tom, had an opportunity to witness Governor Tom Corbett get in a kayak at Narrowsburg to paddle down the Delaware River. He launched from the Pennsylvania Fish Commission access just below the Narrowsburg bridge and, of course, a small group of natural gas opponents were there to greet him. However, there was also a determined group of natural gas advocates. We were there to capture it all.

Tom also treated us to a follow up drive-by of…

The recent viewpoint piece that appeared in some upstate papers under the signatures of Sandra Steingraber and Michelle Bamberger about natural gas threatening the burgeoning opportunities connected with yogurt is so hysterical it’s hard to know where to begin. The latter, of course, is one-half of the husband-wife team of “scientists” from Cornell who tried to turn a couple of anecdotes into a study about the impacts of natural gas development on animals and, by implication, human health.…

Finally, at long last – justice. The Dimock saga comes to a blessed end with an announcement from Cabot Oil & Gas that the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) will lift the moratorium on the nine square mile area of the community (the “box”) so the company can finish developing well pads and units in the small bucolic town. Readers of this blog will recall the appeal, last year, of resident Esther Rayias to lift the moratorium.

Justice was delayed a bit when…

The latest hearing for a proposed Luzerne County compressor station lasted over five hours with expert testimony from the applicant, UGI Energy Services. UGI is looking to build the compressor station off North Ridge Lane with the intent of pressurizing natural gas coming from northeast counties. The natural gas coming into this compressor station will then be used to supply the residents of Wilkes-Barre and Scranton with natural gas from the Marcellus Shale. Residents are already getting a…

How would you like to shoot a dozen and a half birdies (or maybe more) in the same round? Instead of a driver, a 5 iron and a putter, you’ll be using something like an “over and under,” and the “birdies” will be disks made of baked clay or some modern substitute. The game we’re talking about here is called “sporting clays,” and it’s often described as “golfing with a shotgun.”

If you’ve never tried the sport, which has been kicking around this country only since 1980, here’s your…

Chris Denton says:

Whatever may be the merits of developing the natural gas resources of New York State, we can all agree that understanding the process and nomenclature provides the best starting point for all discussions.

http://eidmarcellus.org/marcellus-shale/hey-can-we-at-least-get-the-language-right-on-natural-gas/12111/

Cayuta Hotel Owner Frank Maines says:

"As I read the hysterical letters about natural gas from the tiny handful of folks I previously described as “tree-huggers,” I begin to wonder: Will my water breathe fire? Will earthquakes occur as in Texas? Will the devil demons inhabit the Finger Lakes as the backyard movie-makers suggest? As they beg for donations for their futile cause, and after intense deliberation, I have made my decision. I am one of the silent majority who will welcome…

Cherie Messore says:

"If only it had been like the Oikos commercial on TV. You know, the one where actor-singer-hottie John Stamos appears after you eat a spoonful of Greek yogurt. Alas, the protest outside the “Yogurt Summit” in Albany featured a couple dozen protestors (with no resemblance to Stamos), a few placards and (reportedly) a few kids suited up like dead cows. By the way, I’m not a parent, but isn’t making your kid impersonate a dead animal a form of child…

Another weekend, another protest in Watkins Glen as the “fracktivist” proclaimed “Summer of Solidarity” continues. As such, we’ll be heading up to Watkins Glen Friday afternoon for another protest. This protest is against Inergy’s proposed LPG storage facility, where Gas Free Seneca, although not the organizer of this event, continues to speak out against the project. For our part, before the protest we will spend time in solidarity with our communities at two games celebrating America’s…

Saturday morning a group of about 150 anti-natural gas folks got together to protest natural gas development in New York State. We provided a live report that day but there’s a lot more to tell. This was like some Back to the Future time machine trip to the 1960′s without the magic or the DeLorean and nothing but the eccentric Doc Brown. It was totally anti-climatic – a protest that, in the end, and, in a word, bombed like a poor comedy routine.

The protestors began by meeting at a…