public good

I didn’t understand how fracking caused the water coming out of the taps in people’s kitchens to ignite into flames or explode. This drawing explains a lot.

Natural disasters like earthquakes and volcanoes have plagued humanity throughout recorded history. Bridges and buildings have sunk into the earth or fallen over because they were not built on a solid foundation. Is wholesale fracking dangerous to our planet’s structure?

Worse, there is a growing body of evidence that fracking endangers our water supply.

Years ago I read an entire National Geographic issue devoted to water. Until then, I had never thought about water, or realized our planet has a finite fresh water supply. Water is something we reuse over and over again, and the water we drink today is the same water that dinosaurs drank back in the day. The magazine pointed out that while human beings have done nothing to increase the fresh water supply, we have managed to decrease it.

By 2050 a third of the people on Earth may lack a clean, secure source of water.
— National Geographic

That was before fracking. Fracking increases the danger to our water supply dramatically.

Q: So why is Fracking suddenly a problem around the world?
A: Corporations exist for one purpose only: to make money. Corporations don’t care what damage they do so long as there is profit. Fracking makes money.

New Brunswick

I don’t live in New Brunswick, but as a Canadian I am horrified by what is happening there.

On the morning of October 17, 2013, approximately 200 RCMP – some dressed in military fatigues and armed with snipers – stormed a Mi’kmaq anti-fracking blockade and camp near Rexton, New Brunswick. Journalist Miles Howe, on site, described the situation as “RCMP having their guns drawn.” RCMP have confirmed at least 40 arrests, with reports of Elsipogtog Chief Arren Sock as well as Mi’kmaq Warriors being targeted. Media reports have also been pouring in of people being tasered, having police dogs set on them, and rubber bullets being fired – including at young children.”

— No One Is Illegal: Support Actions for Mi’kmaq anti fracking blockade

Why is this happening?

“A Texas shale gas drilling company wants to poison New Brunswick and the court says it’s fine. Go ahead. But the stubborn people don’t want to be poisoned! Darn stubborn people. The court says you have to let the Shale gas company poison you! You are so silly, you people.”

— Bridget Courchene, Facebook

Self defence has always counted toward legal justification. When corporate actions are endangering the water people need to drink — water we need to live, the corporation must be stopped.

Why has the only government intervention here been to send police and RCMP shock troops against a peaceful protest?

The people of the Elsipogtog First Nation in New Brunswick need our help:

Sign the leadnow.ca petition:

http://you.leadnow.ca/petitions/tell-the-rcmp-don-t-violently-intervene-in-peaceful-first-nations-protests

and/or

Contact New Brunswick Premier David Alward:

Express your concern over the government and RCMP’s actions against the Mi’kmaq.
Premier David Alward, New Brunswick
Email: premier@gnb.ca
Phone: (506) 453-2144
Fax : (506) 453-7407

The public good requires that human rights must be put before corporate profits. Fracking allows dangerous chemicals to be released into our ground water aquifers. This is not good for life on earth.

This should not be happening in Canada.

Wouldn’t it be nice to live in a democratic nation where governments listened to citizens rather than doing the bidding of powerful corporations? It is a sad commentary on our electoral system that the only legal recourse citizens have is to beg the government not to destroy our environment? Canada badly needs Proportional Representation so that our governments will put the public good first as a matter of course.