Fracktivists Converge On Philadelphia Convention Center
festive mood in Philly (September, 20, 2012)
[Breaking Update: Christie vetoes fracking waste legislation – end]
The contrast could not have been more stark:
While over a thousand righteous Fracktivists were out in the street, Pennsylvania Governor Corbett and his environmental Secretary were rubbing elbows with fat cat gas industry lobbyists and executives inside the Philadelphia Convention center.
The mood on the street was festive, with rousing speeches, emotional testimonials from families that have been harmed by fracking, music, and great food. Here’s a good rundown of the day’s events
street scene, outside Convention Center. Philly has great murals!
And I was glad to rejoin my Pittsburgh friends from Marcellus Shale Protest – Ken, Loretta, and Mel – who again lead the way!
Marcellus Shale Protest leads the way - Pittsburgh Rocks!
But it was pretty ugly up there in the air conditioned corporate suites, where the arrogant corporate CEO’s and lobbyists in suits gawking at the crowd through the windows prompted a bird flipping ceremony from the street protestors.
As if to champion and epitomize the corrupt corporate cronyism that is destroying our democracy and the earth, Gov. Corbett had the audacity to attack the protesters. In the course of doing so, Corbett expressed a warped vision that would turn the clock back to the 19th Century: more fracking, more chemical plants, more pollution, and LESS regulation:
Corbett said the drillers are here to stay. He said shale gas has already spurred a nascent recovery in Pennsylvanias manufacturing sector, pointing to Shells proposed multibillion-dollar petrochemical plant in western Pennsylvania and a recent deal to prevent a Philadelphia refinery from closing in part by expanding the use of gas from the Marcellus formation, which holds the nations largest reservoir of gas.
We need vision, one that ties this states future to an economy unshackled by needless regulation, but which guards against the desolation of cut-and-run practices, Corbett said. Pennsylvania is getting it right.
Hot Damn! Literally, if you understand the terrifying math of global warming!
And I thought NJ Gov. Christie was bad!
[Breaking Update: Christie is just as bad: Christie vetoes fracking waste legislation
But politician Corbett is at least an elected official, theoretically accountable to the voters and is therefore free to spout outrageous gas industry lies and warped visions.
But environmental Secretary Krancer is not. The head of the Pa DEP is a regulator, who is supposed to be a neutral and balanced administrator of the environmental laws in the public interest, basing decisions on science and facts, not politics, power, and corporate money. He is not supposed to wallow in the sewer of gas industry money and partisan politics.
But instead of independence and integrity, Krancer revealed himself as a disgusting corporate whore and unethical political hack:
Corbetts environmental secretary, Michael Krancer, later took part in a panel discussion on natural gas and the presidential race. Playing the role of surrogate for GOP nominee Mitt Romney, Krancer attacked President Barack Obamas energy policy as nothing but whats above the ground, or wind and solar above all while touting Romneys energy plan.
Krancer, a harsh critic of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, also denounced his federal counterparts as rogue and out-of-control.
After remarks like that, his credibility is zilch – and how can he ever be trusted or believed again?
Do they have ethics laws in Pennsylvania? Who will file the complaint?
Big Brother was there too – the Philly cops were filming the entire event
National Surveillance State tactics at peaceful political demonstration
I spoke with them at length to question this practice. When asked, the on scene commander and the photographers found absolutely nothing improper with police filming people exercising and engaged in constitutionally protected rights. Welcome to the Corporate National Security and Surveillance Police state. (supremely ironic, in that I’m now reading Seth Rosenfeld’s superb book: Subversives: The FBI’s War on Student Radicals, and Reagan’s Rise to Power
The Philly event was sponsored by Shale Gas Outrage.
It follows similar great protests in Trenton NJ, and Albany NY, and Washington DC’s Stop the Frack Attack” – Greenpeace and Mountaintop mining folks have done great recent work too – looking for links.
The Extreme Energy movement and direct action tactics are growing – get your ass out in the streets and join in! Here’s a few more shots from Philly.
[Update: I just saw this – it is an interesting example of the problems we face. At literally the same time folks were in the streets, some NJ environmental lobbyists were in the Statehouse. The inside game can not be effective until Movement street heat increases dramatically.
Get on the Bus!