The earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Japan raised new concerns about the risk of another nuclear reactor disaster. The explosion of the FUKUSHIMA NUCLEAR POWER PLANT gives our citizens cause to re-examine the risk assumed by the public. At this writing, the full extent of the damage to the plant, the community, and the environment is unknown - it will take years.
At the same time concerns over the high risks associated with extracting natural gas and as noted in a Financial Times article is "energy that comes from the same place as our drinking water. Extracting it had better be safe. The political fault lines over hydraulic fracturing (hence the term fracking) have been easy to predict for anyone paying attention to the controversies over climate change and genetically modified organisms. France’s national assembly voted to ban fracking while in the US its been full steam ahead in 32 states. These are high risk alternative energy sources.

Curated by mokiethecat
Ecuadorian Indigenous Peoples opposed to oil development |
Indigenous leaders, directly affected by the Ecuador and Andes Petroleum contract, held a January 28 press conference in Quito. They declared the government's consultation process illegal and illegitimate, rejecting oil exploration in blocks 79 and 83, and further development in the South-Central region. More details are available on the Pachamama website and their YouTube channel. Manari Shigua of the Sápara people testified that UNESCO's designation of Sápara culture as "Oral heritage of humanity" implies all resources in their territory are world heritage. He asserted the Ecuadorian government must consult the world before exploiting these resources, especially those opposed by the people. EarthSayer Manari Ushigua |