Postmedia News reports, “The majority of Canadians and a strong majority of British Columbians oppose hydraulic fracturing – better known as ‘fracking’ – and would support a moratorium on the natural gas extraction method, a poll reveals.”
The article continues, “The Environics Research poll, commissioned by the Council of Canadians, found that 62 per cent of the Canadians polled supported a moratorium on all fracking for natural gas until all environmental reviews are complete. B.C. residents, at 67 per cent, were most likely to support a moratorium on fracking. B.C. was followed by Atlantic Canada, where 66 per of those polled supported a moratorium, then Ontario (65 per cent), Manitoba/Saskatchewan (64 per cent), Alberta (57 per cent) and Quebec (55 per cent).”
“‘The poll results send a strong message that Canadians are really wanting the federal government to put in place a moratorium until the reviews are complete, and so we’re hoping that the federal government will take up the call,’ said Emma Lui, the water campaigner for the Council of Canadians. ‘One of the biggest concerns are the impacts on water sources, in terms of potential contamination and the amount of water that’s used for fracking, but there’s also greenhouse gases and then impacts on public health..'”
“The energy industry’s method of extracting shale gas sees a mix of water, sand and chemicals pumped kilometres underground into drilled wells to break apart shale rock formations, freeing gas to rise to the surface. Critics have connected the practice to groundwater contamination, earthquakes and soil contamination.”
“There is no federal legislation on fracking, and regulations on water and drilling permits vary from province to province. Last September, Ottawa said it was launching two separate reviews of the process.”
The full article by Natalie Stechyson is at http://www.vancouversun.com/technology/Most+Canadians+oppose+natural+fracking/6107022/story.html.
To sign our ‘Don’t Frack with Our Water’ petition and to find out more about our campaign against fracking, please see http://canadians.org/fracking.
