RISK “TOO GREAT TO IGNORE”

Insurance companies thrive on risk. It’s the way they make their money. They’ll write policies to cover almost anything, no matter how dangerous. They provide policemen and firemen with life insurance and insure teenage drivers against accidents. In fact, you can buy insurance for practically everything except catastrophic acts of God—and fracking.

Insurance giant Nationwide recently revealed that it wants nothing to do with fracking because “the exposures presented by hydraulic fracturing are too great to ignore. Risks involved with hydraulic fracturing are now prohibited . . . and any policies currently written with this exposure (will) be non-renewed.”

If homeowners lose their property insurance, they may also lose their mortgage and find it impossible to refinance or sell a home. Even homeowners who haven’t signed leases can be in trouble—if they are unlucky enough to live near a gas well.

Tell Governor Cuomo: If fracking is too dangerous for insurance companies, then it’s too dangerous for New York State!   TAKE ACTION!

YOU DON’T SPEAK FOR ME!

More than one hundred and twenty towns have enacted bans or moratoriums that prohibit fracking. Without exception, these municipalities acted after extensive public participation and lively debate. By the time these ordinances passed, there’s been no doubt that they represent the views of the majority of the residents.

Not so with the “Frack Me Please” resolutions that have been hastily adopted by more than forty towns. The driving force behind these resolutions isn’t local residents, it’s the gas industry. In fact, many town boards have passed identical “cookie cutter” resolutions distributed by a statewide landowner’s coalition.

In many instances these resolutions were supported by board members who have already signed a gas lease, or want to sign one. In some towns the frackers violated New York’s Open Meetings Law by going out of their way to prevent the public from finding out about the resolutions beforehand.

No one can honestly claim that these non-binding resolutions accurately reflect the views of the residents of the towns. All we know for sure is that they represent the views, or the financial interests, of the elected board members who voted for them.

You Don’t Speak for Me! TAKE ACTION!

Catskill Citizens is hosting an online petition, You Don’t Speak for Me!, to be used by the residents of these “resolution” towns. We’ll make sure that petition signatures get delivered to the appropriate elected officials. We also look forward to working with town residents who want to organize their communities. Here’s a printable version of the petition for door-to-door canvassing.

By short-circuiting the democratic process, the gas industry has given us a great organizational tool—let’s use it to the max!

If you can provide information about how these pro-fracking resolutions were passed in your town, please contact [email protected].

“FRIEND” GOVERNOR ANDREW CUOMO

The Governor may ignore our letters, phone calls, emails and faxes, so let’s try another approach: let’s friend him on Facebook – and turn his homepage into one of the biggest online anti-fracking sites in the country!

PUSH BACK!

A national day of action on the West lawn in front of the Capitol in Washington, D.C. For more information, and to register, go to stopthefrackattack.org.

Is your org signed onto the American Clean Energy Agenda?  Contact [email protected] for more information.

Please share this Update link, cut and paste to Facebook and Twitter: http://bit.ly/QrELUD
                      

For more information email [email protected] or call (845) 468 7063

Two out of three people who find out about fracking think the risks aren’t worth the rewards.
Public awareness is the key to our success, so spread the word!
                   

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