Hydraulic fracturing (fracking) for natural gas has most often been framed as an environmental issue, but Grace Wildermuth says people stand to lose much more than our natural resources do. Real stakeholders don’t speak of “the” environment; rather, they focus on their environment, their interests and their rights. It’s personal for them, not some abstract concept.

A quick look at some of the headlines in our local newspapers would make one think northeastern Pennsylvania is turning into a wasteland and swimming in a local stream requires a hazmat suit. Headlines such as “Drilling Killing Water” and “Tracking Fracking Foul-ups” would have readers believe science has proven fracking causes water contamination, while the the stories themselves reveal a majority of contamination claims have been false.

Fortunately, scientific research has made it possible to more accurately identify pollution sources and dispense with these false claims but that hasn’t stopped headline writers from using incendiary language to convey messages counter to the facts of the stories they hype. Nonetheless, following a stream of such anti-gas headlines in the Scranton Times-Tribune recently, an encouraging article appeared on the front page of that same paper this past Sunday. Titled “Wealth Denied,” Steve McConnell’s article “got it.”

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http://naturalgasnow.org/squeaky-opposition-to-fracking-is-justice-...