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The risk to the clean water and produce we enjoy from upstate New York, not to mention the beautiful land itself is at risk from hydrofracking. The time to comment on the latest plans from the NYC DEC is now— the deadline is January 11, 2013 . Please don't put it off—every comment helps. The easy-to-use form at the New Yorkers Against Fracking site will help you quickly construct a few comments and send them. Otherwise, New York State may look like this: Learn more about how hydro-fracking affects the food and water supply , as well as air quality and global warming. Farms in upstate New York: Photo by Keturah Stickann/John Menier Fracking image by J. Henry Fair

The following is about protecting our air and water from hydrofracking—please read what Sandra Steingraber has to say and help out by sending your comments to the DEC now: A note from acclaimed ecologist and author  Sandra Steingraber: I’m writing to recruit you into a writing project I’m doing with Grassroots Environmental Education–and also ask if you will be an ambassador for it.  It’s called  Thirty Days of Fracking Regs , and it’s a fun-yet-deadly-serious approach to commenting on the newly released, and completely absurd, draft regulations for fracking in New York State . The story so far :  On Nov. 29, the New York Department of Environmental Conservation  issued draft regulations to allow fracking in New York. It was a cynical and reckless move—especially because the state’s own limited health review is not even finished, and Governor Cuomo has made no decision yet on whether to permit or prohibit fracking in our state.  The effect o...

My apartment didn't really seem expensive.  (I live in Sunset Park.  Rents are quite a bit more reasonable than Park Slope).  Utilities didn't amount to all that much.  BUT, after realizing that I wasn't using water then RE-using water, I decided to catch most of the greywater I make and see what happened.  The results have been astonishing.  And pretty darned easy!  And I've saved money and I've saved fresh water. What is greywater?  All the water which I use then let go down the drain.  That's grey water.   I suppose it's called grey because it's not drinkable after using it - so it's not necessarily clear.  That is, dishwater, for one.  That's a big one.  Then there's the water I can catch easily when I'm washing my hands, taking a shower, etc.  That's the idea. Here are the kitchen/bathroom buckets ready to be filled from the standard dishpan in the kitchen sink.  And in the bathroom, the full bucket is...

From the 8/28/12 New York Times : Destroying Precious Land for Gas By SEAN LENNON ON the northern tip of Delaware County, N.Y., where the Catskill Mountains curl up into little kitten hills, and Ouleout Creek slithers north into the Susquehanna River, there is a farm my parents bought before I was born. My earliest memories there are of skipping stones with my father and drinking unpasteurized milk. There are bald eagles and majestic pines, honeybees and raspberries. My mother even planted a ring of white birch trees around the property for protection. A few months ago I was asked by a neighbor near our farm to attend a town meeting at the local high school. Some gas companies at the meeting were trying very hard to sell us on a plan to tear through our wilderness and make room for a new pipeline: infrastructure for hydraulic fracturing. Most of the residents at the meeting, many of them organic farmers, were openly defiant. The gas companies didn’t seem to care. They gave us the feel...

As the battle to gain statewide legislation banning hydraulic fracture drilling from New York State continues, various municipalities are passing their own local legislation to protect their water supply. Of course, ground water flows from one area to the next, and we really need statewide legislation to protect our environment, but every bit of local legislation helps. Fractracker has a map showing current fracking moratoria and legislation throughout the state .

The Vermont House of Representatives voted 103-36 today to pass legislation that will make Vermont the first state in the nation to ban hydraulic fracturing for natural gas. Fracking is a method of extracting natural gas from deep in the ground by injecting a mixture of water, sand and chemicals under high pressure into dense rock formations such as shale, in order to crack the rock and release the gas. According to a minority staff report released last year by the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce, more than 650 commonly used fracking products contain chemicals that are "known or possible human carcinogens , regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act, or listed as hazardous air pollutants." While New York State has not taken this step, many towns have acted to ban or delay any fracking in their area. On April 27, Bethel became the most recent town in upstate New York to ban fracking. This interactive map shows the locations of the 100 town...

A New York State judge ruled on Tuesday, February 21, that the town of Dryden in Tompkins County can ban natural gas drilling within its boundaries. Read more about this in the 2/22/12 New York Times. What does this mean? In the absence (so far) of statewide or nationwide legislation that would ban hydrofracking, the town of Dryden in upstate New York has established a precedent, creating it's own legislative protection. Expect to see other towns following suit. In the meantime, activists are still working to get Governor Cuomo to pass statewide legislation to protect all New Yorkers from the dangers of hydrofracking. Those of us in NYC, while not likely to be next door to a hydrofracking site, will have our water supply and food supply from upstate New York affected by the many toxins associated with this drilling process .

We are holding three last workshops to create effective letters commenting on the problems in the DEC's proposed hydrofracking regulations under which hydrofracking could occur in New York State, as early as next year. The workshops are: Friday, December 16 from 5-7 pm Saturday, December 17 , from 3-5 pm Tuesday, January 3 from 3-5 pm Please help publicize these last workshops by forwarding this information to others on your squad, friends, neighbors, etc. The workshops are open to everyone: coop members and non-members alike. You don't have to stay for the whole time—just stop by for awhile and write an effective letter to the DEC. It will be mailed for you (no procrastination!) Governor Cuomo and the DEC seem unmoved by the facts about hydrofracking. See the recent news articles " EPA Sounds Alarm on Fracking in Wyoming " and E.P.A. Links Tainted Water in Wyoming to Hydraulic Fracturing for Natural Gas and Some Blame Hydraulic Fracturing for EarthQuake Epidem...

If you are concerned about the potential health and environmental threats of hydraulic fracture gas drilling want to tell Governor Cuomo not to allow hydrofracking in New York State, here is a chance to speak up. The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) will be a public hearing in New York City on Wednesday, November 30, 2011 at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center , 199 Chambers St., New York, NY. There will be two sessions of the hearing: 1pm and 6 p.m. You can attend just to listen and support others, or write out a statement of your own to read. If you want to read your own statement, there will be a sign up list when you get to the hearing. You can also submit your comments about the latest proposed regulations (SGEIS) by mail or email to the DEC until December 12. For some tips on writing an effective letter about these regulations, see this valuable resource suggesting the different topics you might want to comment on. If you can, please write to the DEC now and/or ...

There's still time, though not much, to write a letter to the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) about the proposed hydrofracking regulations. The deadline is December 12. If you're at the coop this weekend, why not stop at the workshop to help you write an effective letter to the DEC commenting on their proposed fracking regulations: Saturday, November 26: 1-3 pm Individual letters make a difference--the DEC is required to read every one, whereas form letters are merely counted. You can stop by any part of the workshop. Handouts will be available if you want to do your writing at home or share the information with others. Bring friends—coop members and non-members are all welcome!

Slowing Down the DEC on the Fast Track to Frack New York State Governor Cuomo and the Department of Environmental Conservation are putting the Energy Industry on a fast track to frack New York State. Why the hurry ? The NYS DEC recently issued a Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement (SGEIS) which, if accepted, will allow hydro-fracking to begin. We have until December 12 to send comments to the DEC. The Environmental Committee is organizing a series of workshops to provide guidance for writing an effective letter to The DEC commenting on their regulations. Individual letters make a difference--the DEC is required to read every one, whereas form letters are merely counted. We will help you complete a letter at the workshop and mail it for you. Stop by at any point during one of the workshop sessions: Sunday, 11/06: 12-2 pm Saturday, 11/19: 2-4 pm Bring friends—coop members and non-members are welcome!

Please take a moment to sign the petition to ban hydrofracking in New York State and pass it on to others. The situation is pretty serious. Leases to hydrofrack land in upstate New York could be given out in early 2012 if we don't stop it, and we haven't so far. The good news is that many environmental groups and concerned citizens are working together on this--but we need everyone's help. Send the petition link to your Facebook and other friends, if you can. And stop by one of the Environmental Committee's letter writing workshops to generate effective comments to the current SGEIS. The next workshop is next Saturday, October 22, from 10 to 12pm. at the Park Slope Food Coop , 792 Union St., between 6th and 7th Avenues in Brooklyn. All are welcome--members and non-members alike. Please join us!

I've always felt a bit relieved that New York is not prone to earthquakes, tornados, volcanoes and the like. But two recent articles caused me to rethink this. Hydraulic fracture drilling for gas (hydrofracking) has caused earthquakes in locations hitherto unknown for being earthquake prone. Geologists found that over 1,000 small earthquakes occurred in central Arkansas due to this drilling process. Drilling operations there have been temporarily suspended while this is investigated. Then there was the news in June of this year that fracking operations in Blackpool, United Kingdom caused a 1.5 magnitude quake at the end of May and a 2.3 magnitude earthquake in April. It stands to reason that using extremely high pressure to break up layers of shale rock and to release trapped oil would have repercussions. This is in addition to what we already know about the water pollution and other negative effects of the process. Please contact Governor Cuomo and make it clear that New Yo...

Why NYS won't be protected if fracking takes place: On July 8, 2011, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) released its draft Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Study (dSGEIS)—the proposed permitting conditions for the hydraulic fracturing of horizontal wells in New York State. While the dSGEIS may appear at first glance to be a significant improvement over the previous document (released by the DEC in 2009), the Catskill Mountainkeeper's investigation into the text's fine print has identified massive deficiencies. These include failing to present a mitigation plan for the inevitable public health impacts associated with fracking, and a blatant disregard to adequate drinking water protections. Additionally, this document presents the industry with a clear road map for fracking in the Catskill Park, the Delaware River Watershed, and throughout the Southern Tier of New York. The Handling of Toxic Wastewater Still a Major Problem The pla...

After months of study, the NY Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has released their report , and Governor Cuomo has indicated his approval of hydraulic fracture drilling in parts of New York State other than the watersheds of NYC and Syracuse. But what about all the other cities and towns, not to mention farmers and rural dwellers who rely on wells or local water supplies? What about the organic farms that supply the Park Slope Food Coop and others? Unfortunately there is no part of New York State that is not a watershed for somebody. You can make a strong statement by calling Governor Cuomo’s office to tell him that his plan to push hydraulic fracturing in New York State puts New Yorkers at too great a risk and must be abandoned. You can reach the Governor’s office by calling (518) 474-8390 or (212) 681-4580 .