They say all politics is local. The loosening of campaign finance laws may have altered this a smidge, but I think the maxim still holds mostly true. Consider the fracking fight, where the adoption of county-level bans could send a strong message to Sacramento that the expansion of fracking in California doesn’t enjoy popular support. This in turn could lead to a ban if things break the right way.
It could all start in Butte County, where a volunteer-led fight was just featured in a New York Times profile. This video tells their story.
Frack Free Butte County Campaign from Frack Free Butte County on Vimeo.
The next step for their campaign is to get enough signatures—10,000—to put a fracking ban on the November ballot. They need money to hire an organizer, who can work full-time to get the community informed and involved.
They say that an organizer could:
--Train volunteers to run large door-to-door canvasses and phone banks to encourage thousands to turn out on Election Day
--Creating eye-catching signs and advertisements to spread their message
--Host events in the community to educate voters about the dangers of fracking and outline the steps they can take to fight back
--Engage expert help to battle the legal attacks sure to be mounted by Big Oil and
Gas before and after Election Day
The Genius of Organizing
If Butte votes to ban fracking, other counties can follow their model and do it, too. This is the genius of organizing. One dedicated group figures out the formula, others learn from them, and BAM!, change happens. Don't be cynical. It's working on divesting from fossil fuel companies and stopping Keystone XL. It can work on tracking too.
But not without money to grease the wheel. I hope you can join me to support the efforts in Butte County. Many thanks.
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California Fracking Moratorium Blogathon
May 20-May 23, 2014
Key votes will be held this week on California Senate Bill 1132, which imposes a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing, or fracking as it commonly known. The fracking process poses many unacceptable public policy risks. These include contaminating water supplies; degrading public health; disproportionately affecting low income families and communities of color; using scarce water supplies in drought-stricken states; causing earthquakes; and harming wildlife and habitat fragmentation. If the bill fails, the legislative process toward moratorium must restart next January.
Please join us for a blogathon May 19-23 in a campaign to tell lawmakers to support this bill. This is a coordinated effort with a coalition of more than a dozen NGOs, including Earth Works, Sierra Club, and Center for Race, Poverty and the Environment.
And please call key lawmakers, ASAP. Tell them YES on SB 1132!
Sen. Kevin De Leon: (916) 651-4022
Sen. Ricardo Lara: (916) 651-4033
Sen. Ed Hernandez: (916) 651-4024
Sen. Cathleen Galgiani: (916) 651-4005
Sen. Ben Hueso: (916) 651-4040
Sen. Lou Correa: (916) 651-4034
Sen. Carol Liu: (916) 651-4025
Sen. Richard Roth: (916) 651-4031
Sen. Norma Torres: (916) 651-4032
Please Help Pass a Moratorium on Fracking in California!
More details are in this announcement diary by boatsie.
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