Written by Rita Yelda for stargazette.com
Gov. Andrew Cuomo is considering handing over New York’s Southern Tier to the oil and gas industry as sacrifice zones for fracking, an extremely dangerous form of natural gas extraction. This is truly concerning, as the Southern Tier is full of agricultural lands used to produce foods that end up on our plate every day.
Already struggling Southern Tier farmers whose livelihoods depend on the health of the land face especially stark choices when it comes to fracking. Gas companies offer the misleading promise of gas royalty payments and minimal ecological impact. However, fracking is risky and there is much at stake. There are over 5,000 dairy farms in New York and dairy is New York’s largest contributor to the agricultural economy, generating $1.7 billion in 2009. Even nationally, New York ranks first in cottage cheese production and third in other cheeses. read more…
