
As pressure mounts for Gov. Jerry Brown to take action on fracking and other extraction methods putting communities and the environment at risk, Californians Against Fracking released a new film Wednesday showcasing several faith leaders across a variety of faiths who are calling for a statewide moratorium and a switch to 100 percent renewable energy.
Here is an exclusive clip from the film made exclusively for EcoWatch readers:
“Although there will always be powerful voices who seeks to justify exploitative practices as a means of economic advancement, there must also be leaders who stand against this destruction and stand for life affirming economic development that will protect that which cannot be replaced,” Rev. Kelvin Sauls, Pastor of Holman United Methodist Church, said in a letter to Brown. “We ask you to rise to this moral challenge, probably the most significant of your career and one that you have long been preparing for, and declare a moratorium on fracking and other extreme methods of well stimulation and unconventional oil and gas extraction in California."
At The Church by the Side of the Road, members of Californians Against Fracking, faith leaders and community members screened the premiere of Faith Against Fracking and opened up a broad dialogue on the important role of religious groups in taking environmental action against fracking.
“This is what is unethical—the things that we’re doing for money that we know is wrong,” said Rev. Ambrose Carroll, a senior pastor at the church. “The bible says treat others as you would want to be treated. So, why would you allow something to happen on one side of town that you wouldn’t allow to happen in your own backyard? If it’s not good for you, then of course it’s not good for others.”
The documentary premiered as California is in the midst of a severe drought. Californians are being forced to cut their water usage by 25 percent, yet Brown continues to allow oil companies to use vast amounts of water for fracking and other unconventional extraction methods. Even worse, state officials have allowed oil companies to illegally inject industry waste water into hundreds of injection wells in protected aquifers. And scientific tests over the past two years found high levels of toxic chemicals in recycled waste water used to irrigate crops in the Central Valley. Meanwhile, reports of health impacts from affected communities continue to mount.
“The fight against fracking is not only about low income communities and communities of color, but communities of faith,” said Juan Flores, a former seminarian. “The reality is that if we have faith, we have to stand up for faith. We cannot let anyone come and crush us. I think what we have to take care of is quality of life. […] All of us have to come together and finally pay attention to the world that was given to us to take care of.”
Flores is Community Organizer at Center for Race, Poverty and the Environment in Delano. For three days straight, local preschool teachers in Delano were forced to stop allowing children outside on the playground when toxic fumes from an oil pump just 150 yards away made the playground unsafe.
Faith Against Fracking will be screening in churches, synagogues and religious community centers across the state in the coming months. Visit Californians Against Fracking for more information.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
Fracking Chemicals Found in Drinking Water, New Study Says
Mapping the Dangers of Fracking
Jon Stewart’s Hilarious Take on Oklahoma’s Fracking Earthquakes
New EarthX Special 'Protecting the Amazon' Suggests Ways to Save the World’s Greatest Rainforest
To save the planet, we must save the Amazon rainforest. To save the rainforest, we must save its indigenous peoples. And to do that, we must demarcate their land.
A new EarthxTV film special calls for the protection of the Amazon rainforest and the indigenous people that call it home. EarthxTV.org
- Meet the 'Women Warriors' Protecting the Amazon Forest - EcoWatch ›
- Indigenous Tribes Are Using Drones to Protect the Amazon ... ›
- Amazon Rainforest Will Collapse by 2064, New Study Predicts ... ›
- Deforestation in Amazon Skyrockets to 12-Year High Under Bolsonaro ›
- Amazon Rainforest on the Brink of Turning Into a Net Carbon Emitter ... ›
EcoWatch Daily Newsletter
By Anke Rasper
"Today's interim report from the UNFCCC is a red alert for our planet," said UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
The report, released Friday, looks at the national climate efforts of 75 states that have already submitted their updated "nationally determined contributions," or NDCs. The countries included in the report are responsible for about 30% of the world's global greenhouse gas emissions.
- World Leaders Fall Short of Meeting Paris Agreement Goal - EcoWatch ›
- UN Climate Change Conference COP26 Delayed to November ... ›
- 5 Years After Paris: How Countries' Climate Policies Match up to ... ›
- Biden Win Puts World 'Within Striking Distance' of 1.5 C Paris Goal ... ›
- Biden Reaffirms Commitment to Rejoining Paris Agreement ... ›
Trending
Plastic Burning Makes It Harder for New Delhi Residents to See, Study Suggests
India's New Delhi has been called the "world air pollution capital" for its high concentrations of particulate matter that make it harder for its residents to breathe and see. But one thing has puzzled scientists, according to The Guardian. Why does New Delhi see more blinding smogs than other polluted Asian cities, such as Beijing?
- This Indian Startup Turns Polluted Air Into Climate-Friendly Tiles ... ›
- How to Win the Fight Against Plastic - EcoWatch ›
In a historic move, the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) voted Thursday to ban hydraulic fracking in the region. The ban was supported by all four basin states — New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania and New York — putting a permanent end to hydraulic fracking for natural gas along the 13,539-square-mile basin, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
- Appalachian Fracking Boom Was a Jobs Bust, Finds New Report ... ›
- Long-Awaited EPA Study Says Fracking Pollutes Drinking Water ... ›
- Pennsylvania Fracking Water Contamination Much Higher Than ... ›
Colombia is one of the world's largest producers of coffee, and yet also one of the most economically disadvantaged. According to research by the national statistic center DANE, 35% of the population in Columbia lives in monetary poverty, compared to an estimated 11% in the U.S., according to census data. This has led to a housing insecurity issue throughout the country, one which construction company Woodpecker is working hard to solve.
- Kenyan Engineer Recycles Plastic Into Bricks Stronger Than ... ›
- Could IKEA's New Tiny House Help Fight the Climate Crisis ... ›