January 11, 2012
By Lisa Bonfantini, OurEarth.org Intern

As of late, the buzz-worthy topic in New York has been hydraulic fracturing, otherwise known as ‘hydrofracking,’ a controversial method of natural gas removal from shale. While the natural gas industry may have appeared to be a promising source of “cleaner” energy, as well as a source of jobs, a number of environmental concerns have been surfacing.

The major cause for concern with regard to hydrofracking is the safety of our groundwater; this extraction method has the potential to produce more than a million gallons of wastewater from just one well! This wastewater often contains highly corrosive salts, as well as benzene (a carcinogen) and radium (a radioactive element), thereby threatening the security of groundwater supplies.

Currently, the state of New York is drafting the rules to drill natural gas from the Marcellus Shale in the Delaware River Basin, which has the potential to contaminate the surrounding watersheds and the groundwater that supplies millions of New Yorkers with their drinking water. If the state of New York proceeds with the intended drilling, these millions of New Yorkers could be left with contaminated drinking water. With stakes so high and Governor Cuomo pushing to lift the ban on drilling in New York City's watershed, we are in grave need of environmental leaders to speak out on the issue.

One such environmental leader has stepped forward and is fighting to raise public awareness about hydrofracking through his music. Singer-songwriter, Marc Black, has produced songs including “No Fracking Way,” which was recently released as a music video (right).

Marc Black began his music career at a young age, touring with The Doors and Van Morrison. He says he was first roped into the music industry by the sounds of Elvis Presley in Jacksonville – “Music has always been the center of my gravity,” said Black, “The energy around that music, that early rock and roll, was the most exciting thing to me.”

Although Black had been a songwriter his whole life, his life took a turn just four or five years back, when a close friend experienced a stroke. Thankfully, Black’s friend was okay. He went on to ask Black to help him write songs about his dramatic, yet enlightening experience. This incident came as a major turning point to Black, who saw for the first time a new way of applying his songwriting abilities, a way he felt was more appropriate to his age. Black explained this milestone in his life as a phenomenon similar to outgrowing clothes.

So in the midst of this personal transition, Black was approached in Western New York and asked if he had any songs about fracking. “I didn’t even know what it was at the time, so I looked it up and was horrified,” said Black. Still following the energy that surrounds his music, Black recorded “No Fracking Way” with John Sebastian, his musical hero, and Eric Weissberg. The recording also includes more than 100 Woodstock, New York citizens singing the final chorus to give the song a “populist feeling.”

This recording ultimately landed him where he is today. Black now makes himself free to play “No Fracking Way” for rallies in order to promote environmental education and awareness. “So many people in the metropolitan area have no idea about hydrofracking,” said Black disappointedly. Even though Black believes “No Fracking Way” is having an educational effect that continues to reach more and more people, he is still not satisfied with the impact from his one song.

Black went on to explain that the social and political situation surrounding hydrofracking has changed since the writing of the song. He feels that people are more concerned with obtaining jobs and financial security first and foremost, then using what money the government has left over to address environmental concerns.

“But this is backwards,” expressed Black. “We need to be able to breathe and have clean water to live [on]. A government that can’t keep the air and water clean or that won’t keep it clean isn’t a government at all.” Black is currently formulating these ideas into a song that discusses the government’s unfulfilled role in environmental protection and preservation.

Although Black has been a promising figure in spreading awareness about the dangers of hydrofracking to our groundwater sources, there is still much work to be done in order to stop hydrofracking. “I just know that it’s helped to raise awareness,” Black said in reference to his music. In an effort to make the touchy situation surrounding hydrofracking “more approachable and understandable,” Black has provided environmental leaders with some exceptional advice – the take away message being, “Don’t take no for an answer. When people tell you, you can’t do something, go do it, and you will.”

For more information, please visit:
http://www.facebook.com/NoFrackingWayTheMusicVideo

Watch Marc Black play "No Fracking Way!" in Albany:
http://www.youtube.com/v/0WsNiFxI3wo

Listen to Marc Black's latest song, "I'll Be Gone":
http://marcblack.com/mp3/06 I'LL BE GONE 9-23.mp3

“Gas co workers are not ‘evil people’ yet their security is in line with something that is extremely dangerous and it becomes hard for them to be objective about it.” – Marc Black