RIP CARL STILES

Carl Stiles the anti fracking fractivist from Bradford County, PA died on January 26, 2012, after living with illnesses caused by shale gas drilling. Mr. Stiles was forced to move away from his Bradford County home as an environmental refugee. A few weeks ago, I wrote about the controversial practices of fracking and how communities living over the Marcellus Shale deposit which extends from Upstate NY into Ohio have been duped and dunned into letting the various companies seize and destroy the land they sit on. I was made aware of the practices through the real experiences of my friend who lives in SouthWestern PA, and is even now dealing with a very persistent developer who is pressuring him to cede the mineral rights to his land...what the hell, all his neighbors did it for 1,200 bucks an acre.

Josh Fox being arrested today by Capitol Police

I published a part of the documentary Gasland by Josh Fox which has been shown on HBO and in theaters across America. Today, the documentarian whose Oscar-nominated film “Gasland” exposed the risks of unregulated natural gas fracking, was arrested in handcuffs by U.S. Capitol Police at the behest of Republican lawmakers after refusing to stop filming today’s GOP hearing attacking EPA oversight of fracking’s air and water pollution. “I’m within my First Amendment rights, and I’m being taken out,” Fox shouted as he was led away, Politico reports. Rep. Brad Miller (D-NC) called a motion to suspend the committee rules and allow for Fox and an ABC crew also present to film the hearing, but Republicans rejected the motion.

Why in the light of recent news about the geophysical effects of fracking in England, Montana and Pennsylvania and Ohio are the Republican Congress members so paranoid about keeping the release of information about their hearings under total control? Obviously, the evidence is on the table as far as the amount of lobbying money that has found its way into the coffers of these hacks. Here's a link just sent to me by my buddy, Jeff, who's home is in the way of the Marcellus Shale drilling Jihad which high lights the urgency of the Republican Corporacracy to circle the wagons to protect their pockets against any type of rational environmental regulations which would hamper their immediate profits!

If you'd like, here is the link to the HD version of Josh Fox's Gasland on YouTube. It is well worth your time in checking out. RIP Carl Stiles. Don't give up the fight. Don't let him die in vain.