Ignoring years of opposition from the Mi’kmaq, the public and experts, the Houston government is setting Nova Scotia up to be plundered by the billionaire-backed fracking industry – threatening our water, the health of our communities and future generations’ chance at a livable planet.
Nova Scotians have had enough. We’ve beaten fracking before, and we can do it again. Add your voice to the petition calling for a full legislative ban on fracking and show that our communities aren’t about to let decades of progress go up in flames so that wealthy fossil fuel interests can make a quick buck.
Let’s send a strong message to the Houston government: no more false promises. No more ignoring our communities’ concerns. No more threats to our water, air and health. No more locking us into dead-end industries and climate breakdown for the sake of fossil fuel profits.
NO MORE B.S.
Petition:
To the Honourable Tim Houston, Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Tim Halman, Minister of Energy Trevor Boudreau and Minister of Natural Resources Tory Rushton,
Nova Scotians didn't ask for fracking. The 2014 moratorium on hydraulic fracturing was put in place following years of work from communities across the province, a full independent review and extensive public consultation that included 1,200 attendees at public meetings and over 745 written submissions. This was not "lazy" policy making, it was a thorough and meaningful process that revealed strong and widespread opposition to fracking. None of this work was undertaken by the province before lifting the ban through Bill 6 - there was no mention of the issue in the government's election platform, no proper consultation with experts, the public or the Mi'kmaq and zero supporting submissions during the Public Bills Committee process.
There is therefore no social license for fracking in Nova Scotia.
Fracking poses serious risks to our water, health and climate. Studies link fracking exposure to rashes, burns, cancer and birth defects – especially for people relying on well water, of which there are over 440,000 in Nova Scotia. As a greenhouse gas, the methane gas extracted from fracking is up to 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide in the short term, and roughly 30 per cent of today’s global warming is driven by methane from human actions. Pollution from fracking threatens key industries like farming, fishing and tourism, and as the world transitions away from fossil fuels, fracking will lock Nova Scotia into an outdated and economically volatile market.
We the undersigned are calling on the Government of Nova Scotia to fully implement a legislative ban on hydraulic fracturing in the province, and to invest in a true clean and fair energy transition that will grow our economy in a safe, affordable and sustainable way, help meet our climate commitments and offer clean, affordable energy. We are not willing to risk our communities' future for the sake of short-term fossil fuel profits.