Celebrities Ask Colorado Governor Hickenlooper, ‘What the Frack?’

Denver, Colo.–(ENEWSPF)–Novembeer 19, 2013.  Today, celebrities and environmental advocates — including Malin Akerman, Lance Bass, Julie Bowen, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Darren Criss, Daryl Hannah, Hayden Panettiere, Amy Smart, Marisa Tomei, Wilmer Valderrama, Constance Zimmer and others — will be featured in a series of new viral videos, which aim to educate Coloradans about the dangers that fracking poses, and to put pressure on Governor Hickenlooper to ban fracking and move to a renewable energy economy instead.

Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, is a highly controversial process for extracting oil and gas that, along with related drilling, wastewater disposal and other extreme extraction methods like acidizing, has raised serious environmental and public health concerns across the country.

Produced by Appeal to Reason for Americans Against Fracking, the Environmental Media Association, Frack Free Colorado, Food & Water Watch and Environment America, these celebrity videos are part of a series calling out leading Democratic governors in Colorado, California and New York, as well as President Obama, by highlighting some of the facts that make fracking inherently unsafe. 

Actress, environmentalist and Colorado resident Daryl Hannah said, “Hopefully, the country will listen to its citizens who are realizing that we can’t frack our way to energy and economic security.”

“Fracking is a dirty form of oil drilling that pollutes our air and our oceans,” added Golden Globe-nominated actress and environmentalist Hayden Panettiere. “It’s time to move to clean renewable energy. We need to stop fracking now!”

The videos come on the heels of the historic victories to halt fracking in four Colorado communities. Despite nearly $900,000 spent by the oil and gas industry, voters in Fort Collins, Boulder and Broomfield passed five-year moratoriums and Lafayette made history as the second Colorado city to ban fracking, following in the footsteps of Longmont last year.

“It’s time for Governor Hickenlooper to stop drinking the fracking fluid and side with the people of Colorado,” said Sam Schabacker, Mountain West Director for Food & Water Watch. “As a governor up for reelection next year, it would probably be wise for him to stop antagonizing his base and pay closer attention to their concerns over fracking. Just like the water used for fracking is forever contaminated, those of us fighting to protect our air, water and communities from fracking are not going away.”

The local economic costs that accompany drilling and fracking include damage to public roads, declines in property values and increased demand on emergency and other social services. Health problems from local air pollution, as well as from the stress of constant light and noise pollution, also accompany fracking. The practice creates massive amounts of toxic waste with no good disposal options. Spills are proving inevitable and contaminating Colorado land and water. Drilling and fracking also pose long-term risks to vital underground sources of drinking water.

Most threatening are the massive amounts of carbon dioxide – emitted from burning natural gas, petroleum, and methane emitted at every stage of the drilling, fracking and production process – that are changing the climate on which we all depend. Colorado has weathered more than its share of climate change-related extreme weather in the past couple years with massive storms leading to devastating floods and severe droughts leading to horrific fires and erratic growing seasons.

“This is about real people across Colorado experiencing real health impacts due to fracking,” said Allison Wolff, co-founder of Frack Free Colorado. “From moms in Broomfield to farmers in Paonia, communities across Colorado are calling on the Governor to show leadership in transitioning our state to a clean energy economy and fracked gas is not part of that future.”

The groups are calling on Hickenlooper to take advantage of Colorado’s rich renewable energy resources, such as wind and solar, which would provide greater economic benefit at much less cost to the environment. According to a study by the Brookings Institute, job growth in solar and wind are far outpacing the fossil fuel sectors. Other countries, including China and Germany, have reaped the economic benefits of investing in renewables; it is estimated that by 2020, the clean energy economy will total $2.3 trillion. Colorado, which ranks 11^th in the US for wind resources and has eight times the photovoltaic potential of Germany, could lead the way as a producer of abundant, sustainable energy.

About Americans Against Fracking

Americans Against Fracking is a broad-based coalition composed of the following groups: www.americansagainstfracking.org/members. For more information about Americans Against Fracking, visit www.AmericansAgainstFracking.org.

About The Environmental Media Association

The Environmental Media Association (EMA) is a Non-Profit 501(c)3 Organization founded in 1989 by Cindy and Alan Horn and Lyn and Norman Lear. EMA is dedicated to harnessing the power of celebrity and the media to promote sustainable lifestyles and believes through positive role modeling the entertainment community can inspire consumers to take action. The organization has grown into a diverse group of industry professionals from film, television and music dedicated to the mission of promoting environmental awareness through the entertainment business and the media.  EMA serves as a valuable link between the entertainment industry and the environmental community. Visit us at online at www.ema-online.org and www.facebook.com/EMAOnline.

About Frack Free CO

Frack Free CO is a collaborative, grass roots movement that works to raise awareness about the dangers of fracking and enlighten Coloradans on ways that we can accelerate our move to renewable energy and sustainable living today. Our mission is to protect Coloradans’ basic rights to clean water, clean air, a safe home, and a sustainable future. For more information please visit: www.frackfreecolorado.com  or www.facebook.com/frackfreeco.

Watch the video to Governor Hickenlooper here.

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