Anti-Fracking Protesters Target Jerry Brown in Paris

California Gov. Jerry Brown may think he has staked a position on the environment that will please the left, but he hasn’t gone far enough: groups that oppose fracking are targeting him in Paris on Wednesday afternoon with a protest at the Le Bourget conference site.

Numerous speakers from various left-wing groups are expected to address the rally. The Center for Biological Diversity, Food & Water Watch, Friends of the Earth, Californians Against Fracking among other groups are sending their representatives for that purpose.

A press release from the Center for Biological Diversity summarizes the Paris attack on fracking with various claims. The release states that much oil extracted in California is as carbon intensive as Canadian tar sands oil, and also asserts that hundreds of “contaminating wells” have been built near homes and schools, primarily endangering black and Latino residents to disproportionate health and safety risks.

As Reason reported, a 2013 study by researchers at Duke University found higher concentrations of methane in water wells that were within a kilometer of gas wells. But it also confirmed earlier reports that the two simplest explanations for the problem were faulty steel casings and improper cement sealing of the wells, not fracking.

In addition, natural gas burns cleaner than coal or oil, and the growing use of natural gas derived from fracking has lowered U.S. CO₂ emissions.

The press release from the Center for Biological Diversity boasts that America’s top climate scientists have urged Brown to ban fracking, and the number of California counties and cities considering a ban on fracking is growing.

The release concludes with this extreme statement: “Wednesday’s protest urges all government leaders, exemplified by Gov. Brown, to halt fracking and dangerous drilling as an essential part of achieving full decarbonization and 100 percent renewable energy no later than 2050.”

Brown’s plans on Wednesday include a panel discussion with U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz, according to the Los Angeles Times.