The oil and gas industry fear the continued drop in the prices of their products worsened by the pandemic. They want to ensure our dependency on fossil fuels by taking advantage of this life-threatening virus. While Gov. Gavin Newsom is heroically combating COVID-19, the federal government has been rolling back environmental protections and lifting restrictions to allow for more drilling. They are gambling with our lives, for their profits.
In California, 24 permits for new fracking wells in Kern County were approved on April 3, 2020. Our Department of Conservation may approve 282 more fracking permits any day.
More than 22,300 Californians are confirmed infected with COVID-19, and 687 have tragically died. Yet, more than 12,000 Californians die annually from oil and gas production and burning. Any form of fossil fuel drilling makes air pollution worse. Air particulates cause cancer, asthma, and put immune systems at risk, but we can’t see them. We can’t see COVID-19, either.
Toxic air pollution from oil and gas drilling makes COVID-19 even deadlier. The authors of an April 5 Harvard study found that the slightest increase in air pollution would cause an “increase in the COVID-19 death toll and hospitalizations, further burdening our health care system”—and putting people who live next to oil and gas wells at higher risk.
Now more than ever, we need to protect the health and safety of all Californians. We shouldn’t needlessly be putting more people at risk.
Local elected officials are the first line of defense to fight fracking. I’m proud to serve on the steering committee of Elected Officials to Protect California. More than 300 of us have already signed a letter asking the governor to take action banning fracking. I believe Gov. Newsom does want to protect the health and well-being of all Californians. I understand that he’s focused on combating COVID-19. He may only be tangentially aware that new fracking permits are being issued. We are in an emergency, and COVID-19 is his priority.
But climate change is an emergency, too. The World Health Organization has stated that if temperatures continue to rise, there will be an increase in pandemics like COVID-19. They are a national security threat.
We need to let the governor know the serious threat that fracking represents, as it adds to temperatures rising and the possibility of more pandemics.
Together we are stronger. Unite your voice with ours. Please contact Gov. Newsom’s office and be heard.
Together we can convince him not to issue any new permits. But it’s time the state put our lives first, not the interests of the oil and gas industry.
We need to ban all fracking now.
Heidi Harmon
San Luis Obispo
This article appears in Apr 23 – May 3, 2020.
Please fix our zoning laws so that people can live close to where they work, and stop polluting the air with long commutes.
BAN FRACKING IN SLO COUNTY and CALIFORNIA – the time is now!
Thanks for these words Madam Mayor. In 2018 58,000 SLO citizens voted to ban fracking and all NEW oil development in our County. Big oil spent $8 million on slick media lies to barely defeat it.
With international and USA oil prices in a tailspin, now is the time to make the massive shift to renewables. It would take about $1.5 trillion to build out renewable energy across America and in the process create millions of jobs and result in a PUBLIC owned energy system.
Keep the cheapening gas flowing for our 2 SUV’s.⛽👍
This article is a comedy! Somehow, Doug and Charles made it even more hilarious with their sheep mentality and lack of critical thinking… Let me address two of the most obvious logical fallacies of this article.
1) “They want to ensure our dependency on fossil fuels by taking advantage of this life-threatening virus.” The reality is, lower pricing IS ensuring the longevity of petroleum products. It really strengthens the argument for using petroleum products because they are without question the cheapest, most reliable source of energy in the world. If you are a fan of other energy sources, good luck making it cheaper than petroleum products! Charles has possibly the most illogical argument for “renewable” energy, stating that these low petroleum prices somehow make expensive “renewable” energy better. How does that work? More specifically, how do those of us who are financially burdened during this pandemic find the money to pay MORE for energy? California has some of the highest energy prices in the county and it is 100% the fault of people like Mayor Harmon, Charles, and Doug. They may have the money to pay for high energy costs, but perhaps they should check their privilege, gain some perspective, and realize the impossible situation they are putting underserved communities in by actively working to eliminate the most reliable and cheapest form of energy on the market.
https://www.eia.gov/electricity/state/
2)”But climate change is an emergency, too. The World Health Organization has stated that if temperatures continue to rise, there will be an increase in pandemics like COVID-19. They are a national security threat.” Do you want to know what the real national security threat is that never gets attention? California’s War on Oil and this article is just another shot that has been fired. Unfortunately, the reality is that the continued attacks on the petroleum industry result in an increased reliance on foreign countries to provide our energy. California is arguably the most advanced state when it comes to “renewable” energy, but we still use ~2 million barrels of oil every single day. We only produce 40% of that, which means we IMPORT 1.2 million barrels every single day. Mayor Harmon, Charles, and Doug are actively supporting the continuance of this national security threat through their work to eliminate domestic oil production.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/rrapier/2019/…
https://ww2.energy.ca.gov/almanac/petroleu…
What this article and its comments teach us is that Mayor Harmon, Charles, and Doug are all clearly aligned. They don’t care about those who are financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, they simply see this as an opportunity to force their views on others. They don’t care about underserved communities who are struggling to pay their continuously growing energy bills (heating, fuel, electricity, etc.). They are fine with skyrocketing energy prices. They are ignorant of the California energy landscape. Their solution? Stop using cheap, reliable sources of energy and use taxpayer money to pay for expensive, unreliable sources of energy. Common sense and logic are why MORE than 58,000 SLO citizens voted down Charles and Doug’s silly measure. Let’s continue to utilize our common sense and logic combat lame proposals from people with no qualifications to make them.