Governor Tom Wolf has been sought out by religious leaders to ban hydraulic fracking as a result of Pope Francis’ recent encyclical about climate change.
“Governor Wolf, you have the opportunity and the obligation to act,” read the letter, delivered to Wolf’s office on Thursday. “Shale gas development is not only putting us in an increasingly precarious position, it is also keeping us from making the necessary and urgent transition to clean, renewable energy.”
According to Wallace McKelvey of the Patriot-News, the letter was organized by the advocacy group Pennsylvanians Against Fracking and signed by over 100 leaders of various faiths.
“We do believe that all of creation is a gift of God,” said Sandra Strauss, advocacy director for the Harrisburg-based Pennsylvania Council of Churches. “It’s our responsibility to protect and preserve the environment for now and for future generations.”
Currently, Wolf’s budget proposal includes a severance tax that would raise money from natural gas drillers to pay for education spending and additional regulators. He also reinstated a moratorium on new gas leases on state park and forest land.
Religious leaders were inspired by Francis’ argument about climate change and are optimistic that they can make a difference.
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8 Responses
Pope a Joke is comin to Philly. Give him a free Philly cheese steak.
I obviously read that wrong. Oops
The headline is correct, as David corrects.
The Pope does not have a history of sexually assaulting young boys.
PCC does not reject The Pope or his authority.
Man, the usually lame excuses stoop to new lows today. Soon, you may have to actually admit that shooting carcinogens below our groundwater so British Petroleum and Royal Dutch Shell can sell stuff to foreign nations might warrant critique.
If not, just keep lying.
So, the Pennsylvania Council of Churches, made up of denominations all of which categorically reject the pope’s authority on any subject about which he might be expected to know much of anything, think a cheap headline can be generated by putting words in his mouth on a subject about which he knows nothing.
Gullible journalists, anyone?
How about we stop listening to old European dudes who have a history of sexually assaulting young boys and instead listen to economic and industry experts on these issues. The state is the largest royalty owner in PA and receives hundreds of millions of dollars a year in royalty checks from energy companies. Go ahead and ban fracking. Kill the industry. Pa will be out of money within 3 months.
David’s right. The phrase “inspired by the Pope” qualifies “faith leaders.” Skim it very quickly at first glance, and it could read differently.
“Your headline”
The headline is right
The faith leaders are the ones calling for a fracking ban, because they were inspired by Pope Francis’s message on climate.
The Pope did not call for a fracking ban. Your headline is wrong