The future depends on what you do today. Mahatma Gandhi

Happy New Year to all of you! Last night I chose to watch the movie 'Promised Land' to ring in my new year - while that may sound like an odd choice to many, it was exactly what I needed to end one year and begin thinking about what I'd like to focus on for 2014. As some of you know, I am passionate about caring for our planet in a sustainable and responsible manner. Hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as fracking, is none of that and I'm going to boldly begin my year by asking some tough questions and hopefully shedding some light on the subject. As I learn more I'll post here, and hopefully as all of you learn more you'll share your knowledge here as well.

Fracking is the process of fracturing shale rock by pressurized liquid - usually a mixture of sand, water and chemicals for the purpose of extracting oil or natural gas. This is a super simple explanation for a complicated process involving drilling and injecting the water, sand and chemicals into fissures in the rock. Why am I concerned about fracking? Among many concerns I have is that it is highly unregulated right now due to an exemption from the Safe Drinking Water Act pushed through in the 2005 energy bill. For now, to make a complicated subject simple I ask: is this a sustainable practice, and is it bringing us closer or farther away from relying on clean energy sources and leaving behind a planet that is fit to inhabit by those that come after us? The answer is very clearly an emphatic NO! I have yet to see an argument for fracking that leads me to believe it is a viable solution to our energy problems or economy problems; and this is only the tip of the iceberg.

I highly recommend 'Promised Land' as a movie to begin your research on fracking if you haven't done so already. While it doesn't teach on a deep level the technicality of fracking, it gives a basic overview and examines the subject on a very human level, as regards jobs, homes, farms and the still flat economy.

Here's another place to begin education: http://www.gaslandthemovie.com/whats-fracking This link has lots of great information and while I haven't yet watched this movie, everything I've read on it says it educates greatly. It is next on my list to watch.

I realize this barely scratches the surface of a deep subject, but we have to start somewhere right? Again I ask the question of us: what are we trying to become as a nation, as a people and how are we protecting and nurturing the planet that is currently in our care so that we may pass it on to the care of many generations to come?

Be well. I look forward to hearing your thoughts throughout this year.

In health and love,

Angela