Merrillee Malwitz-Jipson, Richard Silvestri, Amalie Datz, Nancy Silvestri
The anti-fracking Coalition rented a table for the length of the conference. Yesterday OSFR president Merrillee Malwitz-Jipson, Amalie Datz along with Mr. and Mrs. Richard Silvestri delivered educational materials, signs and banners to the site and erected the information booth.
The booth will be manned throughout the four-day conference, with constant contact and distribution. It is hard to believe but true that many commissioners have little concept of the destruction that results from fracking. Even of those who do, many feel that it is not a threat to Florida, and are unaware that wastewater is often trucked hundreds of miles for dumping.
Lots of Materials for Education
Progress is happening, as can be seen by the following impressive list.
Resolutions against fracking have been passed in the counties of Leon, Madison, Union, Alachua, St Lucie, Flagler, Miami-Dade, and Monroe and there is one being drafted in Broward. And in the cities of Tallahassee, St Augustine, Coconut Creek, Hallandale Beach, Fort Myers Beach, Tampa, and Bonita Springs.
This work is important because the petroleum industry has unlimited money, lobbyists and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection on their side. Bills purporting to protect the people and environment but which actually do the opposite will be championed by those working for the industry during the next legislative session, as they were in the last one.
Everyone who lives in Florida should become informed as to what is happening in our state and then take action. As we have said before, if you understand fracking, you will oppose it unless you are profiting from it.
