Some Good Political News for a Change

After 31 months of Trump in the highest American office, political fatigue has set in with the sensory overload. So here’s some good news in the political world: California Governor Gavin Newsom fired Ken Harris, the head of California’s oil and gas regulatory agency, after activists complained about a sharp rise in oil drilling permits and conflicts of interest.

It’s refreshing to see a politician oppose fracking (hydraulic fracturing) because of potential health and environmental risks. Fracking injects high-pressured water into wells to release methane (aka natural gas). Each fracked well uses 1 million gallons of water and chemicals containing known carcinogens, which contaminates the ground water. Residents across the US complain that their water from their tap ignites but the EPA claims that their water is safe to drink. The level of corruption is obscene.

Watch “Gasland 2” to learn how our EPA and government officials have been denying problems with ground water contamination. My students loved how Josh Fox interviewed victims as well as oil companies and the EPA in “Gasland 2.” I believe that every high school student should watch “Gasland 2” in their environmental science and chemistry classes.

My hat’s off to Governor Newsom for taking a strong stand against fracking in California. Wish other governors and elected officials would protect their constituents instead of looking the other way.

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