The provincial government would be wise to heed the protesters who rallied recently in front of Province House to express their concerns about hydraulic fracturing as a means of exploring natural gas. Islanders are fully dependent on groundwater, and government should always err on the side of caution when it comes to protecting it.
Across the country, environmental groups have been opposing hydraulic fracturing - or fracking - because it involves pumping a mixture of water and chemicals into the ground to help release natural gas, a process they say threatens groundwater. New Brunswick and Nova Scotia allow fracking, but none is taking place in this province, although two companies are looking for natural gas. Petroworth has the largest exploration permit with the rights to 440,000 acres of land.
One of the protesters at last week's rally in front of Province House - Jennifer O'Neill of the Sierra Club's Atlantic chapter - said the purpose of the event was to raise awareness about the process. That's good strategy. Even though no fracking is currently underway here, it's prudent to speak up about any concerns sooner rather than later.
Obviously our politicians are well aware of the controversy over fracking. Conservative Leader Olive Crane says she would ban it if her party forms the government after the next election, and Environment Minister Richard Brown has stressed that companies with exploration permits would still need approval to begin fracking - something the province wouldn't give until studies on the impact of the process are completed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Canadian government.
That's somewhat reassuring, but we have a further suggestion for the minister. Even if the U.S. Environmental Agency and the Canadian government give the process the OK, the province shouldn't automatically allow it in this province. Islanders have one source of drinking water and it comes from groundwater. Before government allows fracking here, it must be sure it poses no threat to this precious resource. If that assurance requires the province to engage its own expert to explore the unique geological and soil makeup of this province, then so be it.
SNAPPER: A victory for fitness, too
It was fitting that Charlottetown resident Ken Jay received his share of accolades last week when he got his first hole-in-one after 40 years of golfing. It's every golfer's dream, after all, and when he scored one at Fox Meadow, fellow golfers acknowledged it as such with their congratulations and handshakes.
But Mr. Jay's achievement also reminds us of the benefits of an active lifestyle. After starting golfing in 1972, he now plays most days of the week for the fun of it and for the exercise. "I can walk a couple of miles every day, not a problem."
We hear of many studies warning us of the consequences of an inactive lifestyle and lamenting the unwillingness of many Canadians to incorporate some kind of fitness into their lifestyle. Mr. Jay's daily routine is an encouraging reminder that staying active has its rewards, with or without that coveted hole-in-one.
You can't drink money... it's as simple as that. Once the wells of the houses are contaminated, those houses become unliveable, lose all value. Fracking has been link to contaminate water and who ever consumes it become ill. Suan has to read up on it. Would you allow a fracking well in your backyard? I think not! What we are saying here is, wait, let's make sure it's done well, before we allow more fracking. Pensylvania has had many problems due to fracking, so something is not going right here! The natural gas is not going anywhere. Why not wait until petroleum companies figure out a more effective, environment friendly way to retrieve that shale gas. At the present time, only 15% of the shale gas is being extracted using the fracking process and chemical are not being pumped back out when they are done. They have to figure out a way to isolate our drinking water from the natural gas deposit which are many kilometres below our water. Once they figure out how to do it, they, YES, go ahead and frack all you want! This is what informed protestors are saying in a nutshell.