Why NC Shouldn’t Frack Wednesday, February 8, 7-9 p.m. Multi-Purpose Room, Building 2, Central Carolina Community College Address: 764 West St., Pittsboro Map and directions Colleen Kendrick (Deep River Clean Water Society) and Elaine Chiosso (Haw Riverkeeper, Haw River Assembly) discuss experience in other states, shale gas in Chatham and other counties, the politics of energy, and how to protect families, communities, land, and water from the risks of fracking.

Reposted from Earth First! Newswire

Tibetan Villagers have successfully halted a controversial mining operation that threatened Kawagebo, one of the most sacred peaks in the Tibetan world.

In Tibetan culture, where people live in intimate relationship with the natural world around them, reality and mythology have a way of blending together. So it was perhaps no surprise to local villagers when, after a Chinese mining company and local authorities repeatedly repelled efforts stop a gold mining project on the slopes of holy Mount Kawagebo, the mountain appeared to strike back. Continue reading →

For Immediate Release – January 27, 2012

Environmentalists Confront Gas Industry’s Back Door Lobbying Campaign

Raleigh, NC – On Feb. 2^nd Croatan Earth First! has called for a protest against the American Petroleum Institute (the largest gas industry lobbying group in the country which represents over 400 corporations ). API is presenting a shale gas workshop to legislators to encourage them to support hydraulic fracturing in North Carolina.  API spends millions of dollars lobbying, funnels money directly to legislators’ campaigns, as well as millions of dollars airing pro-fracking ads on television to convince the public that natural gas is “green.”  API has already been working closely with some legislators to construct industry friendly regulations which Earth First! member, John Connor, says “puts everyone at risk…industry has shown no desire to safe guard public and environmental health”.

The event has been billed as invite only, the public is not welcome.  Protesters are calling shadowy closed door meetings like this a clear violation of the democratic process that have no place in a free and open society.  “These rich out-of-towners have more access to our legislators than we do, but it’s us who will pay the cost” says Michelle Davies.  “Hydrofracking has caused dozens of earthquakes in Ohio over the past few months.”  Groups like North Carolina Sierra Club have launched campaigns against fracking, and the Southern Environmental Law Center has made the Piedmont one of the top 10 most endangered sites in the Southeast due to the threat of natural gas development.

In a recent symposium on hydrofracking at Duke University, Robert Howarth presented his Cornell study which reveals that natural gas extraction warms the planet faster than CO2 due to the emission of the greenhouse gas methane.  He then publicly called for a moratorium during the Q & A session.  However, the American Petroleum Institute and its front groups, such as Energy In Depth, continue to mislead the public and their legislators. Croatan Earth First! will be holding the protest starting at 9 a.m. outside the Marriot City Center Hotel at 500 Fayetteville St. in downtown Raleigh on Thursday, February 2^nd.

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On February 2nd, oil interests with the American Petroleum Institute (the largest gas industry lobbying group in the country ) are presenting a shale gas workshop to legislators to woo them into supporting hydraulic fracturing in North Carolina.  They’ve even booked a room at a hotel just a few blocks away from the legislative building.  API spends millions of dollars contributing money directly to legislators as well as millions of dollars in putting pro-fracking ads all over television telling the public that it’s “green.”  This is supposedly an invite only event…unless we have it cancelled.  Call the Marriot City Center hotel in Raleigh and let them know that this meeting undermines any true democratic process where representatives ask their populace what they want to happen with their own land and water.  Instead, they are being wined and dined by industry.  Tell Marriot that unless they cancel this event we will be holding loud protest outside their hotel on February 2nd starting at 9 a.m.

Marriot number: 919-833-1120  Ask to speak with the manager,  Bill Hoffman, or the front desk manager, Michelle.

Fax number: 919-833-8912

if you’re online try using free fax resources like faxzero.com or myfax.com/free to send in your thoughts.

Or tell them in person at:

500 FAYETTEVILLE STREET Raleigh, NC 27601