Video of Elves Delivering Fracking Drill Rig to Gov. Quinn’s House

Citizens Dressed as Elves Set Up Frack Rig on Governor Quinn’s Lawn 

Chicago, IL —Monday morning four concerned community members dressed as elves visited Governor Quinn’s Chicago residence and set up a hydraulic fracturing rig with a large red bow attached on the front lawn.  The “elves” said they were delivering a present from Santa who has been nervously watching the dangerous practice of hydraulic fracturing or fracking inch closer and closer to becoming reality in Illinois during the past year.

The elves delivered the frack rig because people that live far away from where fracking is planned are the ones making the decision to bring the dangerous practice here. “We are delivering this rig today because if Governor Quinn and the other people that have opened up our state to fracking had to live next to fracking and had to obtain their water from a well I think they would not bring fracking to our state,” said Mike Durshmid of Rising Tide Chicago.

Hydraulic fracturing is an environmentally damaging practice in which large amounts of water, sand and chemicals are combined and then forced deep underground to break shale rock to release trapped oil and gas.

Fracking has been linked to earthquakes and air and water pollution in Colorado, Ohio, Texas and Pennsylvania, states that have been using the practice for some time.

The climate implications of fracking were front and center during the delivery as the elves spoke about how their home, the north pole had been irreversibly damaged due the loss of ice. They also drew the connection to climate related disaster like Hurricane Sandy and the extreme drought that Southern Illinois experienced a few years ago and how these events would become more frequent and intense if we continue to emit more greenhouse gases like the methane that is released during hydraulic fracturing.

“We just can’t afford to allow the expansion of fossil fuel infrastructure, and must find a way to live that does not put continued economic growth above preserving a habitable planet. For this reason we must stop fracking from starting in Illinois and also work to make larger systematic changes” said Angie Viands of Rising Tide Chicago.

The frack rig delivery, organized by Rising Tide Chicago, comes on the heals of several public hearings on hydraulic fracturing in the state that drew at least a thousand residents expressing their concerns about the practice and some vowing to resist it if it comes to Illinois.

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Fellow Residents of Illinois,

This Tuesday there will be a public hearing in Chicago on a commentary for regulations on a process known as Hydraulic Fracturing. The process is used to extract natural gas from the shale rock layer buried deep within the ground, meaning large profits for those who can obtain space to do it.

The video above is a ready explanation and background to the concerns over the proposed regulations on this process in Illinois, regulations that have only been out for two weeks and were written in a short time – since the passage of the bill that permits fracking was passed back in June.

To summarize our concern:

• All fracking will occur in Southern Illinois, including the Shawnee National Forest (only cyprus forest north of the mason-dixon line). There have been no hearings granted in southern illinois and motions for local regulations have been ignored/denied.
• Fracking releases methane gas into the atmosphere. Methane gas is 25 times more potent greenhouse gas than Carbon Dioxide. Cheap methane gas incentivizes intensive use of greenhouse gases as sources of energy.
• Residents not leasing their land will be exposed the air, chemical, and noise pollution this risky process create, and silenced/given a small settlement for their lawsuits. This cycle has been reliably produced across all states in which fracking takes place.

Date/Time of Hearing: Tuesday, November 26 6:30pm-8:30pm, Citizen’s Press Conference at 5:00pm

Location: University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), 750 S. Halsted Street, Student Center East Room 302

Hope to see you there!

-RTC’ers

Hey All,

Come on out and watch a documentary and have popcorn with us on Wednesday December 4th at 7:30 p.m. as we screen Los Monstruos at Multi Kulti (1000 N. Milwaukee Ave, 4th Floor). 

Los Monstruos is,” a 45-minute film about Pilsen resident Leila Mendez’s struggle against monster dual coal plants Fisk and Crawford. She along with others helped to create PERRO (Pilsen Environmental Rights and Reform Organization) in 2004. Ultimately, they succeed in shutting down the plants (February 2012). Come see their story and the results of their direct action! 

Also, come to hear more about how folks in RTC helped out with solidarity actions during this campaign and learn how to get involved with upcoming actions and events.

RTC

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