Families Join Farmers Against Fracking in Harrisburg

The Spence family is one of many traveling to Harrisburg for a Farms, Not Fracking rally at the opening of the PA Farm Show, Saturday, January 9 in Harrisburg. Farmers from all over the state, joined by supporters such as the Spences, will converge to bring attention to the negative impact fracking is having on the $2.35 billion a year agriculture industry in Pennsylvania.

The Farms Not Fracking rally is being organized by Pennsylvanians Against Fracking, a statewide coalition working to stop fracking. The rally will support more than 100 farmers who are submitting a letter to Governor Wolf calling on him to halt fracking to save farming in Pennsylvania. PA farmers are experiencing intolerable losses, have had animal herds sicken and die, calves stillborn, water and air poisoned and entire farms lost, all due to chemicals and disruption from fracking.

“We are the youth who will be feeling the effects of fracking and climate change devastation years from now and we want to secure our future,” said Kyra Spence, Newtown, a sophomore at Barnard College.

“I do not believe fracking can ever be made safe despite government and industry statements that it can be done safely,” said Lydia Spence, Newtown, a junior at University of the Arts. “I am concerned it is going to affect us soon in Bucks County as well.”

Their mother, Jasmine Spence, is active in the local chapter of 350.org and helps create partnerships with organizations such as Pennsylvanians Against Fracking, Food and Water Watch Pennsylvania and The Delaware Riverkeeper Network to protect the environment for her children and future generations. “I want to support these farmers against the shale gas industry, which is determined to construct a massive build out of drilling and pipeline infrastructure all through the state in the next decade,” said the elder Spence. “This is our food and water supply, what can be more important to protect than that? We should be moving away from fossil fuels and creating a new economy based on renewable energy.”

To learn more about the rally, see http://www.paagainstfracking.org/farms/ . Farmers can sign the letter at bit.ly/agletter.

Photo Caption: The Spences and others are gearing up for the Farms, Not Fracking rally in Harrisburg on January 9 by making signs and getting the word out. Pictured: (L to R) Jasmine Spence (350 Bucks County, Pennsylvania), Jake McGuiness (Junior, Tyler School of Art, of Hulmeville), Lydia Spence ( Junior, University of the Arts), Charlotte Spence (8th grader, Newtown Middle School), Kyra Spence (Sophomore, Barnard College), all of Newtown except as noted.