Fracking is a method of fossil-fuel extraction specifically aimed at oil and natural gas. It involves drilling deep into Earth’s surface and then releasing high-pressure mixtures of water and chemicals to force the gas built up in between layers of bedrock. In most places, fracking requires environmental permits because of its significant volume of water it requires, the transportation and acquisition of which dearly costs the environment, besides concerns of soil pollution with carcinogenic elements and the potential for it to give rise to surface tremors. Some also protest that it helps accelerate global warming. Advocates for fracking usually cite commercial reasons and claim that it is a source of clean energy.
What are some legal battles it faces?
Fracking advocates must navigate a varied legal landscape– while at all sides there are strong defendants and opposers, the actual laws in place represent quite a range of opinions. France banned fracking in 2011, and a slew of European countries followed, ranging from permitted with terms and conditions to outright prohibition. In the US, some states like Vermont, Maryland, Washington, and New York have banned fracking, and some others have attempted to do the same. However, many states’ progressive measures have been riddled with corporate lawsuits from companies.
Why is fracking an Indigenous issue?
It isn’t uncommon to hear the words “Indigenous rights” and “fracking” in the same sentence because of how inextricable the two spheres are proving to be. Scientists have unequivocally asserted how damaging the activity can be to the environment, and despite these warnings, many big companies have proceeded anyway. This has threatened to devastate Native American land in North America and other places such as Western Australia and Argentina– all former colonies. In the United States, North Dakota has risen as the fracking capital that both exemplifies the congruence of these issues. While the oil boom has been financially successful, some argue that a disproportionate number of Native Americans are unemployed on the very land that is being utilized to fill corporate coffers in addition to its impact on wildlife and local communities.
so the solution is fracking… that’s gonna occur on reservations… displacing thousands of native americans… again….??
— desireé. (@desi_deeeee) October 8, 2020
-Center Native and Indigenous voices in the climate change fight
-Fight for tribal sovereignty
-Take steps to end the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls
-Stop the glorification of a murderous slave owner and make Indigenous Peoples’ Day a federal holiday— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) October 12, 2020
What are the political standpoints of the parties on fracking?
At the Vice-Presidential debate last Wednesday, VP Mike Pence jumped the gun and attacked the Biden position on greener policy saying that “they want to abolish fossil fuels, and ban fracking, which would cost hundreds of thousands of American jobs all across the heartland.” Senator Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, responded by saying that Biden and the Democrats shall definitely not be banning fracking, inviting an onslaught of tweets critisizing the stance.
pence: kamala wants to help the environment
kamala: that is a vicious lie— walker (@walkercapl) October 8, 2020
To quote Chico Mendes, “environmentalism without class struggle is just gardening”. https://t.co/Cg66iSeHzx pic.twitter.com/qNcak3WgWU
— Morgan (@discomfiting) October 11, 2020
