SAVE WV and the planet EARTH

Frackers Continue ReBranding Fracking

From an Article by Dory Hippauf, No Fracking Way Blog, September 25, 2014

When a product or corporation takes a hit in public opinion, one of the steps that will be taken is to change their name or roll out a rebranding campaign. Led by their front group, the Marcellus Shale Coalition (MSC), frackers are rebranding fracking. Or to put it another way, they are putting a pretty red bow on a pile of poop.

How much are they spending on this fracking rebranding campaign? They won’t say. It’s proprietary, hush hush, in the same fashion as the super-double secret ingredients in the chemicals used in fracking.

With the blessings of the Heritage Foundation, a right wing think tank, the fracking ad campaign feature actors , including a little girl, saying “ Fracking’s a good word”, “Fracking Rocks” and “Fracking: Rock Solid for PA” .

The astroturf industry group, United Shale Advocates has the ad up on their youtube channel titled Rock Solid Facts. Not surprising, the ad is a rerun of the same pile of talking point poop the industry has been promoting all along.

A few years ago, the industry shied away from the word “Fracking”. They thought it was obscene.

People agreed, fracking is obscene.

Today they are embracing the obscene word as much as they have embraced the obscene practice of drilling, fracking and extraction of fossil fuels, while neglecting to mention the consequences this has on real people.

FRACKING ROCKS?
So, fracking is a good word and it rocks?

Calvin Tillman, the former mayor of Dish, Texas who was forced to leave his town to protect the health of his family after fracking and associated industrial activities created an unlivable situation and doesn’t think Fracking is a good word when it rocked his family.

Deborah Rogers of Fort Worth, Texas, who experienced nausea and severe headaches and nosebleeds, as well as asphyxiation of goats and chickens, after toxic fracking chemicals were found on her property and doesn’t think Fracking is a good word when it rocked her life.

The Ruggiero family of Wise County, Texas, who suffered debilitating health problems and significant losses in property value due to air and water contamination from a spill left unreported by a nearby fracking operation and doesn’t think Fracking is a good word when it rocked his family.

And there are at least 243 families in Pennsylvania whose lives have been rocked by fracking and don’t think fracking is a good word. The List of the Harmed highlights 6,154 families from all over the country who have been rocked by fracking and fossil fuel industrialization.

In February 2014, a Chevron natural gas well exploded in Bobtown, PA. The ensuing fire burned for 5 days and killed one worker. Nearby residents were evacuated. Chevron rocked the community with a coupon for a free large SUPREME pizza and a 2-liter bottle of soda.

Areas in Youngstown OH, Azel TX, Oklahoma City OK, Conway AR have been rocked with earthquakes associated with frack liquid injection wells and fracking. It’s unknown if residents of these communities received a free pizza.

As another industry front group, America’s Natural Gas Alliance (ANGA) says “Think About It”. Many who have had their world rocked by fracking have thought about it, and don’t think Fracking’s a good word, no matter how many pretty red bows are put on it.

# # # # # # # # # # #

NOTE:  Fast Forward to October 2015 — Have you noticed that:

(1) The Governor of West Virginia, the WV State Agencies, and almost all of the WV Legislature are in denial of greenhouse gas effects including global warming and man-made climate change as they promote fossil fuels which are the very source of these problems; so what do you Think About That?

(2) Hoppy Kercheval of WV MetroNews is now the host apologist and cheerleader for the Marcellus drilling & fracking industry on an industry-paid pseudo-news program entitled “Inside Shale” airing on WAJR and perhaps other radio stations Tuesdays from 8 to 9 am.

(3) West Virginia Public Radio is now accepting advertising from the natural gas industry with messages saying “Think About It.”   I say that Fracking is still a Dirty Word! DGN (10-14-15)

(4) Tens of thousands of miles of pipelines are coming, they are going to transport our natural gas to the north, south, east and west, and over-seas.  So, drilling and fracking have just begun, to profit whom?  Consider the damages to our mountains and valleys! DGN (10-14-15)

(5) Carbon fees have been proposed by leading economists; carbon fees have been proposed by knowledgeable West Virginians; and carbon fees would do double duty of helping to limit fossil fuels and providing funds for our roads, schools, public health, etc.  DGN (10-14-15)