Shale Gas Outrage 2012 – Philadelphia
Download this schedule (.pdf).
For Immediate Release
September 20, 2012
Contacts: Iris Marie Bloom, Protecting Our Waters, 215-840-6489 protectingourwaters@gmail.com
Tracy Carluccio, Delaware Riverkeeper Network, 215-692-2329 tracy@delawareriverkeeper.org
Why Shale Gas Outrage Filled Philadelphia Streets
Protesters from shale gas “sacrifice zones” and downstream communities protest industry conference, press for bans and moratoria to “stop fracking now”
Philadelphia, PA – People from throughout Pennsylvania and the shale regions of neighboring New York, Ohio, West Virginia and beyond, along with downstreamers from Maryland and Delaware, joined together to protest the Marcellus Shale Coalition’s industry convention in downtown Philadelphia today, making a unified statement to “Stop Fracking Now.”
Shale Gas Outrage rallied from 12:00 to 2:00 PM outside the Convention Center on Arch Street, led by Protecting Our Waters and endorsed by over 45 organizations, all calling for a moratorium on shale gas development wherever it is occurring. Speakers included Josh Fox, Bill McKibben, Maya van Rossum, Sandra Steingraber, Stephen Cleghorn, Stewart Acuff, Wes Gillingham, John Scorsone, Wenonah Hauter, Doug Shields, and members of Pennsylvania communities impacted by gas extraction and development –Tammy Manning and her granddaughter Madison from Susquehanna County; farmers Carol French and Carolyn Knapp from Bradford County; Craig Stevens of Susquehanna County; Mary Rodriguez, a nurse from Luzerne County; and Kevin Heatley, an ecologist from Lycoming County. Musical talent also contributed to the day: Rhetta Morgan, singer from Philadelphia; Spiritchild from Brooklyn, singer song writer Zach Freidhof, and Pennsylvania guitarist Freebo.
A boisterous march through Philadelphia streets followed the high-energy rally. Marchers stopped at four locations to bring the message of Stop Fracking Now. At President Barack Obama’s election campaign headquarters, marchers demanded “Not One More Drop” be withdrawn from the Susquehanna River for fracking; President Obama votes, through the Army Corps of Engineers, on the Susquehanna and Delaware River Basin Commissions. Marchers also demanded sustainable, clean energy instead of shale gas and fossil fuels. Marchers also confronted PNC Bank (heavily invested in shale gas development and mountaintop removal), Governor Tom Corbett’s office (for a statewide moratorium and to stop polluting our communities and environment), and the PA Chamber of Commerce (which has opposed regulating greenhouse gas emissions and aggressively promotes shale gas exports overseas).
At 5:00 pm today, a Blessing of the Waters, an interfaith event, will take place at Arch Street Methodist Church, Broad and Arch Streets, Philadelphia.
“As the impacted people with fouled water, polluted air and threatened livelihoods have shown today, shale gas drilling is inherently contaminating. Families should not be forced to live with such dangers and health impacts. The best way to stem the tide of displacement, degraded ecosystems and climate catastrophe is to stop fracking now and divest our support from extreme fossil fuel extraction. We are taking the morally responsible position, out of necessity, for our government has turned a deaf ear to these vital concerns,” said Iris Marie Bloom, Executive Director, Protecting Our Waters and lead organizer, Shale Gas Outrage.
The Shale Gas Outrage rally program featured the hardships and suffering that people and communities are experiencing in shale country. A broad spectrum of constituencies, including labor and faith-based speakers, biologists, climate and energy experts, and ordinary people — came together to make a clear, unified statement to solve the horrific problems facing shale “sacrifice zone” communities – pollution and degradation from shale gas development, including drilling, fracking, infrastructure and all related gas operations. That statement from Shale Gas Outrage and those who took part today offers a positive and reachable solution and one that makes eminent sense when the facts are truly considered – Stop Fracking Now by instituting a shale gas extraction moratorium.
On Friday, Sept. 21, participants will attend the Health Impacts Symposium at College of Physicians of Philadelphia, 19. S. 22nd St. Philadelphia, PA. Shale Gas Outrage is screening Kirsi Jansa’s Gas Rush Films from 1 – 2 at Friends Center, followed by strategy sessions. A nonviolent direct action is also listed for early Friday morning.
For a complete list of endorsing organizations and steering committee members go to: http://shalegasoutrage.org/coalition/
For photos and stories about the Rally and March and the events to come in the next day and a half go to: http://shalegasoutrage.org/
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Thursday, September 20th SHALE GAS OUTRAGE: Stop Fracking Now — schedule
Press Conference 10 AM
Arch Street Methodist Church, Broad and Arch, Philadelphia, 19107
Main Shale Gas Outrage Rally 12 – 2
Outside Convention Center, Arch and 13th St., Philadelphia, PA 19107
Speakers include:
Performers include: Freebo, Bethany Yarrow, Rhetta Morgan.
March 2 -3
Starts at Broad and Arch St. Ends at Broad and Walnut St.
Blessing of the Waters 5pm (Interfaith event)
Arch Street Methodist Church, Broad and Arch, Philadelphia, 19107
Shale Gas Outrage After Dark 7:30 – 12pm (informal networking, connecting)
Come to the Rally to find out where we’ll be in the evening. Or email elizabeth.arnold@protectingourwaters.com
Friday, September 21st:
6:45am Friday Sunrise Intervention
Information here.
TWO CONFERENCES:
8:30am – 12pm Health and Gas Drilling Morning Conference
Registration is free. You must register by September 20th.
College of Physicians of Philadelphia 19. S. 22nd St. Philadelphia, PA 19103
Speakers include:
- Michelle Bamberger and Robert Oswald, authors of “Impacts of Gas Drilling on Human and Animal Health”
- Raina Rippel, Southwest PA Environmental Health Project
- David Carey, PhD, Weis Center for Reseach, Geisinger Health System
1:30pm – 5:30pm Mini-Organizing Conference: “Freedom from Fracking 2012″
Friends Center, 1515 Cherry St. Philadelphia, PA 19102
If you want to help mobilize, endorse, or contribute, please contact Shale Gas Outrage Lead Organizer, Liz Arnold:
Email: elizabeth.arnold@protectingourwaters.com
Phone: (267) 270 2211
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Encourage continued awareness about the harms of fracking. Urge Willie Nelson to speak loudly against fracking at the FARM AID Concert on Sept.22.
Shale Gas Outrage 2011 Rally & March Videos
An Affirmation of Active Nonviolence
And Code of Conduct for Shale Gas Outrage 2012
We affirm, respect, and value nonviolent direct action and civil disobedience among the essential tactics which will increase this movement’s energy and ability to create life-affirming social change. Civil disobedience is as American as apple pie, as powerful as Rosa Parks, as eloquent as Martin Luther King and Thoreau, as wise as Barbara Deming, as effective and famous as Gandhi. We honor the countless nameless, courageous people who have endured arrest and worse during every successful movement, including the abolition, labor, women’s suffrage, civil rights, anti-war, anti-apartheid, Central America solidarity, gay rights, and environmental movements, to name a few!
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