By Miriam Raftery

December 20, 2016 (Los Angeles) – California’s Attorney General Kamala Harris and the Coastal Commission have filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of the Interior that seeks to prevent fracking, acidizing and other risky well treatments on the Pacific Outer Continental Shelf off the state’s coastline.

By Miriam Raftery

March 16, 2014 (California)--A new report reveals that the risk of earthquakes in California is being dramatically increased by oil companies injecting billions of gallons of wastewater from fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, into disposal wells near active faults near major cities.  “Millions of Californians live in areas at risk for induced earthquakes,” the report concludes.

The report, titled “On Shaky Ground,” was prepared by Earthworks, the Center for Biological Diversity, and Clean Water Action.   It found that 54% of our state’s 1,553 injection wells are within 10 miles of a recently active fault, 23% are within five miles and 6% are within just one mile. 

Numerous earthquakes across the country have been linked to fracking by scientists, including temblors as high as 5.7 on the Richter scale, the report details. Fracking quakes are common in areas such as Oklahoma and Texas, producing quakes higher than ever seen in some places.

By Miriam Raftery

 (September 14, 2013) – The Natural Resources Defense Council, Clean Water Action and California League of Conservation Voters are calling on the California leaders to fix newly passed California fracking legislation (SB 4) because the bill contains “dangerous amendments that undermine both critical safeguards to protect Californians from the dangers of fracking as well as foundational state environmental review processes,” a press release issued by the groups on September 12 states. 

A moratorium on fracking was removed and the revised version merely requires reporting of chemicals in fracking fluids, but would allow fracking to continue.  Fracking requires injecting water, sand and chemicals into deep rock formations to release oil or natural gas. Serious questions have also been raised about contamination of millions of gallons of water, a commodity in scarce supply already in California. 

Pollution of earth and water is driving indigenous peoples from their homelands

By Miriam Raftery

April 27, 2013 (San Diego)--Around the world, including here in the U.S.,  native people are losing lands they have occupied for countless generations.  The earth and water that sustained life in their communities is being destroyed –once-mighty rivers and wetlands reduced to barren, parched or even contaminated land.  The story is the same from tribes along the Colorado River to those deep in the Amazon, from the deserts of Southern California to the jungles of Mexico, from the coal fields of Appalachia to the copper mining pits of Arizona to indigenous people’s lands in Canada threatened by the Keystone Pipeline.

The culprit?  Growing demand for energy and water. 

Now, native people are speaking out.  They hope to educate the public to conserve precious resources, sharing knowledge of the heart-breaking price being paid by people who have been given no choice—and whose very cultural identity centers around the lands and waters being lost.

April 13, 2013 (San Diego) – A growing movement seeks to build awareness of social and environmental justice issues related to energy production. While the world has jumped on the “green bandwagon” in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and use of fossil fuels and nuclear, how much difference are alternatives such as wind and solar power really making?  What are the unforeseen consequences on communities, public health and the environment? Why isn’t the media reporting on these issues?

On April 15, prominent environmentalists and community leaders will speak on local experiences and on growing national/international movements seeking social and environmental justice.  Speakers at the event titiled “Energy Projects, Fracking, and Rights of Mother Earth” include Donna Tisdale, chair of Boulevard Planning Group and co-founder of two nonprofits battling big energy projects in East County,  Terry Weiner with the Desert Protective Council and Solar Done Right, attorney Bill Pate who handled a legal challenge to the Ocotillo Wind Energy Facility, Peg Mitchell with SanDiego350.org and Citizens Climate Lobby, and Carlos Pelayo, Asociación de Jornaleros y Trabajadores de Casa.

December 5, 2012 -- (San Diego’s East County) – ECM World Watch helps you be an informed citizen about important issues globally and nationally. As part of our commitment to reflect all voices and views, we include links to a wide variety of news sources representing a broad spectrum of political, religious, and social views. Top world and U.S. headlines include:

U.S.

• Is fracking contaminating U.S. livestock?   (AllGov.com)
• Prop 8 supporters, opponents, await Supreme Court decision (Sacramento Bee)
• Report finds 69% of pork contaminated with bacteria (Eatocracy, citing Consumer Reports data)
• Female combat vets push to overturn wartime restrictions (UT San Diego)
• Senate votes to tighten sanctions on Iran (UT San Diego)
• Analysis: Democrats' discord undercuts Obama estate tax push (Reuters)
• House GOP committee chairs will all be white men in next Congress (Huffington Post)
• What happens to women denied abortion? This is first scientific study to find out (i09)

WORLD

• Cairo’s Tahrir Square fills with anti-Morsi protesters (BBC)
• ADL: Anti-Israel campus activity rising after Gaza conflict (Jerusalem Post)
• Joint U.S.-Afghan Base Attacked By Taliban In Eastern Afghanistan (NPR)
• Egypt’s top court shuts down, blames Islamic protesters (Reuters)
• Change to royal succession agreed (BBC) 

HEALTH & SCIENCE

• Is Alzheimers Type 3 diabetes? (New York Times)
• Why are cows tails dropping off? (The Nation)

Read more for excerpts and links to full stories.

• Catching up with San Diego’s legislators (San Diego CityBeat)
• Report: Padres to be sold to group including local golf star (10 News)
• Survey: Islam is San Diego County’s fastest growing religion (UT San Diego)
• Could economics doom ailing California nuclear plant? (Sacramento Bee)
• Santee among cities getting park grants (UT San Diego)
• Padre dam board settles on five-year  plan (UT San Diego)  
  
• ‘Appalled’ at Costs, Residents Slam Helix Water District Rate Hike Plan

• California growers join greens to query frack safety (Reuters)
• Legislature approves high speed rail spending (SF Gate)
• Historic bridges of Yosemite Valley under siege (Sacramento Bee)
• Study: What makes Californians smile? (News Service .org)
• College tuition is political fodder, from the state Legislature to the presidential campaign trail (Sacramento Bee)
  
• Rising costs push California cities to fiscal brink