Fracking in California Counties: Activists Sing Out NO!

About a hundred protests to ban fracking coordinated by nonprofit Food & Water Watch were held worldwide today. In northern and central California concern about fracking is heightened because come December the federal government is scheduled to hold an auction to lease out parcels of land to oil and gas companies in the counties of Monterey, San Benito, and Fresno . (A lease sale by the US government of the land on the Monterey Shale was held last year as well.)

To bring awareness to the environmental damage caused by fracking, the Raging Grannies performed original anti-fracking songs with one of the Grannies on ukulele at the intersection of University and Emerson in downtown Palo Alto today. They were joined by fellow activists from the Occupy movement; together they handed out informational fliers in the busy downtown area after leading folks passing through the nearby the plaza in a sing-along.

The Raging Grannies reject the multi-million dollar public relations campaign by big oil and gas companies and urge local, state, and national officials to reject fracking as it endangers the environment including the habitats of animals and human drinking water. In California this is a special concern as there is evidence that fracking increases the likelihood of earthquakes.