Concerns about fracking continue as the Alberta NDP warned that fracking in the province was ‘out of control’ and renewed its call for an independent review this week.
Communities continue to find creative ways to fight fracking projects which are threatening their drinking water, families and friends’ health and the air they breathe. One example is the Mi’kmaq Warriors Speaking tour where events in sixteen communities in Western Canada and Ontario have been organized or will take place over the coming weeks. Members of the Mi’kmaq Warrior Society who were arrested for protecting their land from fracking will share their stories about their struggle against fracking on their territory.
This week the Council of Canadians launched its new Fractivist Toolkit: How you can take action to protect water and stop fracking. The toolkit provides ideas for communities fighting fracking.
The first section of the toolkit provides a summary of fracking in Canada’s provinces and territories and includes information about the current state of fracking, laws related to fracking – such as permit requirements for water takings and drilling – and what community actions are already underway. The second section contains ideas and suggestions about what you can do to fight fracking, including case studies and how to pass a resolution against fracking. This section also includes public education tools such as social media tips and sample letters to the editor.
Fracking is one of the biggest threats to our watersheds of our time. As Maude Barlow writes in the Foreward, “We’ve seen the terrible damage fracking inflicts, just as we’ve seen the power and influence of the companies that promote it. These companies won’t regulate themselves, and governments are doing little to stop them. They won’t put the needs of people and the planet before profit. That’s up to us. By organizing, writing, marching, petitioning and refusing to give up, we can protect our water and stop fracking.” Here, here. And with this toolkit, I look forward to working with many to stop fracking across our communities!