Author Archives: admin

Protect Our Loveland pleads for help in the face of City Council shenanigans

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Loveland City Council’s majority pushed through a reversal of the decision last Tues. to hold the Special Election that will decide the fate of Loveland’s citizen’s initiative on a two year moratorium on fracking in Loveland.  Was July 29 – a week later it was moved up to June 24.

We, the citizen’s of Loveland, have been continually sabotaged by this council majority’s actions against our initiative, and the vote to change the date of the Special Election to June 24 is no exception.

This decision was pushed through despite the warning the week before from our Larimer County clerk that taking such action would both disenfranchise many voters and confuse others (who may then find their vote disqualified due to mishandling of the ballot).

Her professional advice was met by attempts to bully and intimidate her into taking on our election.  When she refused, the behavior of two of our councilmen quickly erupted into some pretty despicable behavior.  Shameful.

She stood by her decision however, and refused to participate in threatening not only Loveland voters with disenfranchisement, but every voter in Larimer County.

Despite the county clerk’s advisements, and her refusal to participate, the council majority reversed their decision a week later – the special election will now be held on June 24th.

I guess Councilmen Taylor wouldn’t or couldn’t hold fast to his dissenting vote the week before.

What is worse (if in fact it can continue to get worse), the council majority’s action adds yet more  cost to taxpayers.  We pay and pay and pay for their continued manipulation of our right to vote.  An election that should have taken place last November now carries the price tag of at least $80,000.  I believe Troy Krenning’s claim to being a fiscal conservative has now been proven false.

Protect Our Loveland was organized to create and sponsor a citizen’s initiative, needed, because our City Council refused to acknowledge Loveland citizens concerns.  Concerns that oil and gas development would negatively affect our health and property values.  When our council majority then refused us our right to vote on the issue last Nov., our mission was expanded to include the protection of our civil rights.

We are now campaigning for our initiative.  Please join with us by volunteering to help us win our moratorium.  Please join with us by donating to help pay for the costs of this election, as we fight to win the time to consider the consequences of opening our city up to fracking before we know the facts.

The council majority may have made it clear, and obvious, that THEY don’t want a moratorium – or even an election on this issue.  But now that we finally have an election, regardless of their continued roadblocks, we are going to win it.

Protect our children, Protect our homes, Protect Our Loveland.  It’s two years.  The gas and oil aren’t going anywhere.

Thank you so much.

Sharon J. Carlisle

PROTECT OUR LOVELAND

Our Health  Our Voice

Phil Doe to participate in fracking debate

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Be The Change’s Environmental Director Phil Doe will debate the pros and cons of fracking this Thursday at the Denver Post Auditorium. Phil will be joined by Hunter Lovins, President of Natural Capital Solutions. Arguing in favor of fracking are John Harpole, President, Mercator Energy, and Kathleen Sgamma, Vice President at Western Energy Alliance. The debate will be moderated by  Eric Sondermann.

Tickets are free, but space is limited and you must have a ticket to enter the auditorium. Tickets can be reserved at https://justthefrackingfacts.eventbrite.com.    A maximum of 5 tickets are allowed per order.

When: Thursday, March 20.  Doors open at 5:00, debate starts at 5:30
Where: Denver Post Auditorium
Hosted by Independence Institute and Alliance for Sustainable Colorado

 

Air Quality Control Commission – Public Comment Meeting

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The Air Quality Control Commission Public Comment Meeting is Wednesday, Feb 19 at 15151 East Alameda Parkway, Aurora, CO 80012 (Aurora’s City Center Building).

The Commission will have a designated time to take public comment from 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM and from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM for participants that are appearing in person. This is designated for oral comments only.

IF YOU CAN’T MAKE IT TO THE HEARING, EMAIL COMMENTS TO THE COMMISSION BY TOMORROW.

Written and/or electronic documents must be submitted to the Commission Office by closure of the Public Comment Session or by February 19, 2014.

Written submissions should be mailed to:

Colorado Air Quality Control Commission
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
4300 Cherry Creek Drive South, EDO-AQCC-A5
Denver, Colorado 80246

Email submissions should be emailed to:cdphe.aqcc-comments@state.co.us

Defend U.S. Sovereignty from Undemocratic Trade Pacts

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TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION TO DEFEND U.S. SOVEREIGNTY, THE U.S. CONSTITUTION, U.S. REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT,  AND U.S. RULE OF LAW FROM IMMINENT THREAT!

The new Trans Pacific Partnership trade treaty (TPP) and Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) contain terms that OVERIDE NATIONAL AND STATE AND LOCAL PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY LAWS, ENERGY AND TRANSPORTATION AND RESOURCE AND ECONOMIC POLICIES AND PROGRAMS, AND ULTIMATELY, U.S. SOVEREIGNTY AND REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT.

Their terms include the right to sue member countries whose laws appear to limit their right to maximum profit, in secret tribunals conducted by corporate lawyers, and with no right of appeal for member nations. (Similar terms under NAFTA have yielded $390 million in fines to member countries, by asserting that corporate “investor rights” to maximal potential profit trump all other rights and laws). TPP and TTIP trade treaties ramp up those “investor rights” even further.

Articles and websites below review what is at stake, namely:  U.S. Constitutional representative government, U.S. rule of law and sovereignty, the preservation of  public health and safety and clean air, water and land, and climate stability, and a functional society, our right to plan an economic system that includes a fair playing field for small businesses, allows for public project investment, good jobs,  and upholds the rights of all Americans!

Congress may vote as to whether to grant Fast Tract Authority on the TPP as early as next week

If they grant Fast Track, it would mean that they renounce their proper Constitutional role in crafting trade treaties, giving it up to a Trade Representative and the 600 corporations who are crafting the terms in secret, and agreeing to only vote Up or Down on the final terms (not modifying the agreement reached). De Facto, they would also be agreeing to renounce the role of representative government and the laws of the United States of America, agreeing to the underlying premise that foreign corporations have “investor rights” to maximal potential profit , that are superior any U.S. laws or policies or programs (federal, state, or local).

We the People cannot let this occur! Beyond party interests, beyond issue interests, we all must unite in demanding that  our Congressional Representatives and Senators vote NO to Fast Track.

Sign Petitions and Get Connected:

Deborah Rogers dismantles claims of economic boom from fracking

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In a talk titled “Shale Boom or Shale Bubble?” at the Broomfield Community Center last Thursday, Deborah Rogers directly challenged the myth of a decades long economic boom from fracking. SONY DSCRogers is a financial consultant and the founder of the Energy Policy Forum, an organization that studies the policy and financial issues surrounding shale gas and renewable energy.

The talk, sponsored by Our Broomfield and Earthworks, was attended by a full house of about 100 people. Rogers stated that the fracking “boom” has been bolstered by Wall Street money, which began investing heavily in oil and gas shale following the collapse of mortgage-backed securities in 2008. She said Wall Street is playing the same game with shale as with the housing market – manipulating the ratings agencies to boost the commodity. Once a shale field is “proven,” Wall Street sells it at 5 to 10 times the original price. These “proven” fields are initially tapped in their “sweet spot”, and the first wells produce at high capacity that is assumed to permeate the entire field.  The problem is that marginal areas further afield may produce at only 30% capacity of the initial wells. This problem is compounded by declines in production of 30-50% each year for gas shale, and even greater declines for oil shale. Rogers said the Niobrara fields, which underlie most of eastern Colorado, decline by 65% the first year. Wells in the Bakkan field, which span much of western North Dakota, are completely spent after 6 years.

In order the give the illusion of a boom, the oil and gas industry must constant grow production to give the illusion of increasing capacity. In spite of this, Rogers predicts that oil and gas production from fracking will peak around 2017 and the major ‘plays’ will decline to ‘stripper well’ status by 2024.

Action Alert – contact the Colorado Air Quality Control Commission (AQCC) commissioners

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Please contact the Colorado Air Quality Control Commission (AQCC) commissioners to let them know that their constituents want to see air pollution curbed around oil and gas drilling. The more people they hear from the better, so if you have any friends interested in getting involved, please send forward this onto them.

The person you’ll be contacting is Michael Silverstein who is the Administrator and Technical Secretary. His number is 303-692-3478. We are asking folks to let the commissioners know that they support strong regulations to curb air pollution from oil and gas drilling and to mention 1 or 2 of the following points :

  • Nine Colorado counties now exceed EPA limits for ozone pollution.
  • Oil and gas operations are the leading source of VOCs in the state, the chemicals that form ground-level ozone.
  • The Governor has called for “zero tolerance” on methane emissions that cause climate change and we support that effort.
  • This AQCC rulemaking is a huge opportunity to improve our public health by curbing these VOC and methane emissions from oil and gas and we want to see a strong rule.

Thanks!

Robert R. Winkler, CDRP

International Institute of Risk Management

Washington University

Concerned Citizen of Colorado

 

Colorado’s first Frack Free Beer Festival!

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Please join us in supporting, promoting, and enjoying Colorado’s first Frack Free Beer Festival!

Open to the Public:  Free event!    Donations gratefully accepted!

When: Aug 25th   11am-7pm

Where: Boulder Bandshell Amphitheater,Broadway & Canyon,   Boulder CO

Musical Performances by:

  • Laura Goldhamer
  • Dan Treanor and Afrossippi
  • Caitlin and Sydney Powell
  • Tommy Price and the Stilettos
  • We the People
  • Kunundrum
  • NDAAZ

Guest Appearances /Brief Speakers  From Colorado grassroots concerned citizens groups and environmental groups,

Including Whistleblower Wes Wilson and  Phil Doe  from Be the Change

Vendors:    food vendors,  COLORADO CRAFT BEER , El Dorado Water, artisans…

Sponsored by:

  • Oskar Blues Brewery       
  • El Dorado Spring Water   
  • InkSpired Magazine    
  • Local Radius Organic Farmers
  • Be the Change      
  • What the Frack?! Arapahoe

For more information on performing , becoming a sponsor or a vendor, contact Wade Norris 919-631-6373 wademnorris@gmail.com     

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Colorado’s First Frack Free Beer Festival is the first in a series!  This is the inauguration event for the Frack Free Beer Festival Tour across Colorado  (next one will be held Oct 26 in Grand Junction).

The Frack Free Beer Festival is meant to raise a glass to Colorado brews and the clean water that goes into them, and to raise general awareness of the impacts and risks of fracking, including the risks to Colorado water and beer.

Monies raised will go towards covering the considerable expenses of the event, providing some compensation to the fabulous musicians, and raising the money to set up the next Frack Free Beer Festival event.

Vendor booths:  $200.00   (Additional vendors being sought !     Please contact Wade to arrange for a vendor booth at wademnorris@gmail.com

Group Sponsorship:  Colorado grassroots concerned citizens groups and environmental groups are asked to make an advance donation for the event (at whatever amount  your group can afford to donate) and will be welcome to bring literature/buttons/etc  to share.  Each group is encouraged to bring their own table and chairs.   If you are far from Boulder but would like to see the Frack Free Beer Festival come to your area, make sure your group donates, to help get this tour off the ground !  Additional group sponsorships needed !   Please contact Wade to arrange donation and group sponsorship via email at wademnorris@gmail.com

Fracking and Beer?                                                                                                                                                                                                 Making beer and fracking (for oil and gas) both use a lot of water.  But the water that the frackers use becomes permanently contaminated with toxic chemicals and heavy metals and radioactive materials, and there is risk of this toxic water and the fracking process contaminating our drinking water (and beer water !) supplies.  Colorado has very limited water supplies.  With 100,000 fracking wells planned for Colorado, will the toxic air emissions make us too sick to enjoy our Colorado brews?  Will the climate change that fracking  expedites make it hard to grow barley and hops?  Will we run out of clean water to make beer?  How do we protect our Colorado natural splendors and quality of life and Colorado craft beer from fracking?  Who’s ensuring our beer security?  Colorado beer drinkers unite !

Read:

http://www.treehugger.com/clean-water/german-beer-makers-concerned-about-fracking-polluting-water.html

Letter to Governor Hickenlooper from Colorado Brewers:   http://www.scribd.com/doc/150601257/Beer-Letter

Obama administration resists Freedom of Information Request on Keystone XL approval process

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State Department denies request for quick release of lobbyist documents; appeal filed

WASHINGTON – April 26 – The State Department has denied Friends of the Earth’s request for expedited release of internal documents that could shed light on the web of lobbyists TransCanada and the Province of Alberta have hired in order to fast track approval of the controversial Keystone XL pipeline. Friends of the Earth today filed a formal appeal. Continue reading →

Senator Aguilar shelves Coop Bill untill 2014

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On April 12, 2013, Senator Aguilar laid over (withdrew her legislation) SCR13-002, for the Colorado Health Care Cooperative, until January 8, 2014. The Colorado Health Care Cooperative extends Obama’s Affordable Care Act and develops a unique plan for controlling costs while providing accessible health care for all residents. Although Senator Aguilar could not obtain the two thirds vote of the Senate needed for this Constitutional Amendment Referendum, Co-operate Colorado‘s multi-year strategy remains intact, the progress has been great, and momentum is strong and rising. Continue reading →