Food & Water Watch
On Friday, a coalition of grassroots organizations including Americans Against Fracking, Illinois People’s Action and Southern Illinoisans Against Fracturing Our Environment (SAFE) urged Gov. Quinn and Speaker of the House Michael Madigan to reject a bill pending in the legislature that would allow hydraulic fracturing in the state and instead pass a moratorium.
Their call was reinforced by more than 500 concerned citizens who flooded statehouse phone lines asking the leaders to protect Illinois families and communities from fracking, and by Americans Against Fracking advisory board members Josh Fox, Natalie Merchant and Mark Ruffalo who voiced their opposition to the bill through social media.
“With the end of the legislative session in sight, it would be a huge mistake to pass any law that merely regulates fracking in Illinois, as doing so will only provide a roadmap for the industry,” said Jessica Fujan, Midwest organizer for Food & Water Watch.
“We have evidence indicating that fracking cannot be done safely. In Pennsylvania, a state with regulations firmly in place, Department of Environmental Protection data shows that nearly nine percent of all shale gas wells are already leaking. These violations are increasingly unlikely to receive any response or penalty. Is this what we want for Illinois?”
Although fracking is not currently taking place in Illinois, HB 2615 would endanger public health by establishing weak standards of operation for the oil and gas industry. For more than a year, investors have owned mineral rights in southern Illinois that would allow them to drill. Until now, public controversy and regulatory uncertainty have seemingly kept the drillers at bay. With new legislation on the table, energy companies have announced plans to begin drilling as early as this spring.
HB2615 fails to require full disclosure of the chemicals used in fracking and would allow fracking operations to be constructed just 500 feet from water wells, homes, churches, schools, hospitals and nursing homes. The bill would allow the process to take place 300 feet from rivers, streams, lakes, reservoirs and ponds, and would endanger water supplies by only sampling and testing water near drilling sites up to 30 months after drilling and fracking, despite the fact that the risk of underground contamination associated with these activities can persist for years. Opponents of the bill are also concerned that it would fail to provide local control by county government over whether the process can occur in a given jurisdiction.
"HB2615 doesn’t begin to cover major areas of concern regarding fracking," said Annette McMichael, communications director of SAFE. "There’s no mention of air emission monitoring, for example. Studies have repeatedly shown that fracking emissions cause cancer, lung disease and a variety of other ailments. If legislators truly care about the health and well-being of the people of Illinois they should withdraw their support for this bill."
Groups opposing HB2615 are asking state leaders to instead support HB3086, which would impose a two-year moratorium on fracking while further studies are conducted.
The detrimental effects of fracking are numerous and well documented. Extracting, transporting and burning natural gas all contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions and worsen global climate change. In addition to the carbon dioxide emitted from burning natural gas, significant amounts of methane leak as new wells are fracked and as natural gas is transported.
Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, about 33 times more efficient at trapping heat than carbon dioxide over 100 years and about 70 to 100 times more potent than carbon dioxide over 20 years according to a 2009 study published in the magazine Science. More than 1,000 cases of water contamination have been documented near fracking and drilling sites in the U.S. Public backlash against fracking has escalated in recent years. To date, more than 300 U.S. communities have taken action against the process.
Visit EcoWatch’s FRACKING page for more related news on this topic.
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Here are three new films to watch this Earth Week that will transport you from pole to pole and introduce you to the scientists and activists working to save our shared home.
1. The Year Earth Changed
Where to Watch: Apple TV+
When to Watch: From April 16
The coronavirus pandemic has brought home the stakes of humanity's impact on the environment. But the lockdowns also proved how quickly nature can recover when humans give it the space. Birds sang in empty cities, whales surfaced in Glacier Bay and capybara roamed the South American suburbs.
The Year Earth Changed captures this unique year with footage from more than 30 lockdowned cities between May 2020 to January 2021. Narrated by renowned wildlife broadcaster David Attenborough, the film explores what positive lessons we can take from the experience of a quieter, less trafficked world.
"What the film shows is that the natural world can bounce back remarkably quickly when we take a step back and reduce our impact as we did during lockdown," executive producer Alice Keens-Soper of BBC Studios Natural History Unit told EcoWatch. "If we are willing to make even small changes to our habits, the natural world can flourish. We need to learn how to co-exist with nature and understand that we are not separate from it- for example if we closed some of our beaches at for a few weeks during the turtle breeding we see that it can make a huge difference to their success. There are many ways that we can adapt our behavior to allow the natural world to thrive as it did in lockdown."
2. After Antarctica
Where to Watch: San Francisco International Film Festival
When to Watch: 12 a.m. PST April 9 to 11:59 p.m. April 18
In 1989, Will Steger led an international team of six scientists and explorers to be the first humans to cross Antarctica by dogsled. Steger and his team weren't just in it for the adventure. They also wanted to draw attention to the ways in which the climate crisis was already transforming the icy continent and to rally support for the renewal of the Antarctic Treaty, which would keep the continent safe from extractive industries.
In After Antarctica, award-winning filmmaker Tasha Van Zandt follows Steger 30 years later as he travels the Arctic this time, reflecting on his original journey and once again bringing awareness to changes in a polar landscape. The film intersperses this contemporary journey with footage from the original expedition, some of which has never been seen before.
"Will's life journey as an explorer and climate activist has led him not only to see more of the polar world than anyone else alive today, but to being an eyewitness to the changes occurring across both poles," Van Zandt told EcoWatch. "But now, these changes are happening in all of our own backyards and we have all become eyewitnesses. Through my journey with Will, I have learned that although we cannot always control change, we can change our response. I feel strongly that this is a message that resonates when we look at the current state of the world, as we each have power and control over how we choose to respond to hardships, and we all have the power to unite with others through collective action around a common goal."
After Antarctica is available to stream once you purchase a ticket to the San Francisco International Film Festival. If you miss it this weekend, it will screen again at the Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival from May 13 to May 23.
Tasha Van Zandt
3. The Race to Save the World
Where to Watch: Virtual Cinema
When to Watch: From Earth Day, April 22
While many films about the climate crisis seek to raise awareness about the extent of the problem, The Race to Save the World focuses on the people who are trying to stop it. The film tells the story of climate activists ranging from 15-year-old Aji to 72-year-old Miriam who are working to create a sustainable future. It follows them from the streets to the courtroom to their homes, and explores the impact of their advocacy on their personal lives and relationships.
Emmy award-winning documentary filmmaker Joe Gantz told EcoWatch that he wanted to make a film about climate change, but did not want to depress viewers with overwhelming statistics. Instead, he chose to inspire them by sharing the stories of people trying to make a difference.
"Unless millions of people take to the streets and make their voices heard for a livable future, the politicians are not going to get on board to help make the changes needed for a sustainable future," Gantz told Ecowatch. "I think that The Race To Save The World will energize and inspire people to take action so that future generations, as well as the plants, animals and ecosystems, can survive and thrive on this planet."
Check back with EcoWatch on the morning of Earth Day for a special preview of this inspiring film!