Ruffalo, Seeger Lead Rally Against Fracking In Song

Lately it seems the New York State Capitol is the place to be for celebrities pushing their causes.

Today, actor Mark Ruffalo and folk music star Pete Seeger joined public health and environmental advocates in Albany to call on the legislature to enact a year-long moratorium on “hydrofracking.”

Hydrofracking, or hydraulic fracturing, is the process in which rocks are literally fractured underground to extract natural gas.

Opponents believe the process can often contaminate the drinking water for residents that have leased their own land for drilling or live nearby. They want to see a moratorium so further studies can be conducted.

The Department of Environmental Conservation could begin issuing permits for gas drilling in New York as early as August. The legislation that would provide the moratorium is currently stalled in the Senate Rules Committee.

Be sure to tune into Capital Tonight at 8 and 11:30 to see Kaitlyn Ross’s interview with Mark Ruffalo. In the meantime, enjoy this song by Pete Seeger, which was inspired by the hydrofracking debate.

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