The Mothers Project is analogous to The Manhattan Project, only for life affirming technology. For our children’s future, we must make indisputably clean, safe, healthy, renewable energy a priority and commit our nation’s resources to see it through.
Colorado is moving in the wrong direction with the so-called “New Energy Economy.” Many elected officials, state agencies, state environmental leaders, and public universities are collaborating with the oil and gas industry to develop Colorado’s natural gas reserves, thereby committing Colorado to decades of hydraulic fracturing. In 2010, under the leadership of Governor Ritter, and with the support of several state level environmental organizations, the State Legislature passed the Orwellian and erroneously named Clean Air, Clean Jobs Act, making Colorado the first state in the nation to pass a fuel switching bill. It requires public utilities to transition some of their units to natural gas, and requires it be produced here in Colorado, effectively mandating hydraulic fracturing in Colorado. Our state is also investing heavily in transitioning our transportation infrastructure to natural gas.
The Pledge to Resist Hydraulic Fracturing in Colorado
I believe
- that hydraulic fracturing is an accident prone, inherently dangerous industrial process with risks that include catastrophic and irremediable damage to the environment and public health;
- that these risks cannot be properly resolved, nor can they be mitigated through regulation by any government agency or scientific body;
- that the body of evidence from scientists, economists, medical professionals, and citizens who’ve been affected leaves no question about the dire impacts hydraulic fracturing poses to our health, safety, peace of mind, property values, way of life, economy, climate change, and a healthy, sustainable future for our children;
- that it is unconscionable to imperil life sustaining water, air and soil;
- that Governor Hickenlooper, former Governor Ritter, state legislators, state agencies, and some state environmental leaders are misguided in their information about the benefits of natural gas and the safety of hydraulic fracturing, and that they need to acknowledge the body of evidence and public outcry to the contrary and ban hydraulic fracturing;
- that it is incumbent upon state environmental leaders, in their role as the public’s trusted messengers, to rise above any political objectives; discontinue their statements about safe and responsible hydraulic fracturing, educate their membership about the body of evidence to the contrary, and mobilize them to take a courageous stand to protect our state, our children and future generations;
- that our elected officials, environmental leaders and public universities should move swiftly to change course, toward immediate, full-scale investments in renewable energy, not another dirty fossil fuel.
Hence,
If the Governor and the State Legislature continue to permit hydraulic fracturing in any part of Colorado, I pledge to join with others to engage in non-violent acts of protest, which may include demonstrations and non-violent direct action, as my conscience leads me.
I make this pledge in order to prevent the destruction and poisoning of our water, air, and food systems, on which life, health and economic prosperity depend – including that of future generations.
By signing I am making a commitment to fulfill this pledge to defend Colorado from hydraulic fracturing should the government continue on this unprecedented, destructive and irresponsible course of action that benefits the private profits of the oil and gas industry over the health and safety of the public.
Please Contact: TheMothersProject.OrgColorado@gmail.com
This pledge is the initiative of