Buffalo State Demonstration April 19
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Ask the Students, Ask the Staff, We Don't Want Your Fracking Gas
Buffalo State Demonstration April 19
Ask the Students, Ask the Staff,
We Don't Want Your Fracking Gas
Students at Buffalo State College took their stand against fracking for natural gas, the dangerous and harmful drilling method that poisons land and water and produces toxic wastewater. Students rallied in front of the student union and then marched through campus and out to Elmwood Avenue, urging all to join in demanding that SUNY not bring any fracking gas on campus. Numerous chants rang out like “Fracking, NO!” “Ask the Students, Ask the Staff, We Don’t Want Your Fracking Gas.” Signs also expressed the demand of the students to have a say in decisions that impact their lives, like the University support for the harmful fracking gas. “Public Universities Should not Make Private Decisions” and “We want Decision Making Power,” reflected the just stand of students that decisions like those concerning safe water and a healthy environment belong to all and cannot be made in private. Initiated by Buffalo State's NYPIRG, the action called on all to defend the public good and ban all fracking everywhere!
Students also rejected the notion that private interests, like EnergyMark, are allowed to make private deals with public universities. SUNY and EnergyMark have signed a deal worth $20 million to bring dangerous fracking gas from Pennsylvania to New York campuses, including Buffalo State and UB. This deal, made in private, goes directly against the Buffalo ban on fracking and fracking wastewater passed last year — a ban debated and passed in public by the Common Council. It was the first such ban in the state. Both Buffalo and Niagara Falls have also joined the call for a statewide New York ban, expressing their concern that fracking is dangerous and can potentially poison the drinking water for millions while already poisoning the land and water resources in the state and surrounding states. Wherever fracking is occurring water, land and people have been harmed, including rendering drinking water unusable, toxic spills, and now earthquakes caused both by the high pressure drilling and pumping of wastewater back underground. The SUNY deal with EnergyMark makes a mockery of the Buffalo ban. SUNY officials, Buffalo Common Council and all elected officials should stand with the students in saying, a Ban is a Ban and No means No.
Youth rejected the private deal made and demanded that students and the public more generally be fully informed and part of decision making. They also put forward using alternative energy resources and an end to government support for the oil and gas monopolies. It is known that the oil and gas monopolies, like Exxon and Halliburton are also the military monopolies. They have an interest in fomenting war and pushing for the rapid development of fracking to provide more fuel for the war machine, with no regard for the human and natural environment. They are also the ones selling the fracking machinery to smaller companies like EnergyMark, and pushing for private deals with federal and state governments. Students said loudly, “No Fracking Way!”
Any deals made concerning such vital social matters as safe drinking water and a safe environment belong to the public, not the private energy monopolies. As students, and builders of the future it is vital to fight for decision-making power. Those in power now are making decisions against our interests and refuse to submit to the will of the majority which is against fracking and against war. Buffalo Forum is organizing on campus to bring students together as a collective and organize today to be decision makers. A new direction is needed for society and by working together to fight for decision-making, we can help turn society around. Join the organizing work at Buffalo State for political empowerment.
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