Opponents of fracking demonstrated on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on July 28, and marched through the city with stops at the headquarters of America’s Natural Gas Alliance and the American Petroleum Institute. Hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as “fracking,” is a process in which water and a dangerous mix of chemicals is injected deep underground at high pressure to gain access to natural gas. The practice has devastated communities, causing illness, water and air pollution, and earthquakes. A broad grassroots movement has developed to oppose the practice.
Speakers at the demonstration included Mike Tidwell of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, Bill McKibben of 350.org, and Kari Matsko, who was severely poisoned by chemicals used in fracking in her community. The Lindsay/Osorio VotePSL presidential campaign’s 10-point program addresses the environmental destruction caused by capitalism and calls for an end to fracking.
