Lemmy Today

The presidential election in Pennsylvania is shaping up to be crucial, with both the Trump and Harris campaigns spending over $130 million on advertising in the swing state. However, the narrative that Pennsylvanians are overwhelmingly in favor of the controversial practice of hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking," for oil and gas is not entirely accurate. Polls show that a majority of Pennsylvanians actually oppose fracking, with concerns over its harmful impact on human health, the climate, and the environment. The natural gas industry in Pennsylvania has also been declining in recent years, accounting for less than 1% of the state's jobs. Some politicians, like Rep. Summer Lee, have won elections on an anti-fracking platform, demonstrating that it is not the "make-or-break" issue that the media portrays it to be. Despite the growing public awareness and opposition to fracking, the media continues to perpetuate the idea that it is a key issue for Pennsylvania voters. This oversimplification overlooks the grassroots efforts that have been working to educate the public and pass local ordinances to protect communities from the harms of fracking. As the election approaches, it is important to listen to what Pennsylvanians truly want and continue the crucial work of addressing the environmental and health concerns associated with this controversial practice.

A 2020 CBS/YouGov survey found that a slight majority of Pennsylvanians actually oppose fracking, with 52 percent of voters opposed and 48 percent in favor. Another 2020 poll, this one by Franklin & Marshall College, reported that 48 percent of registered Pennsylvania voters supported a ban on fracking, while only 39 percent opposed such a ban. And in a 2021 poll by the Ohio River Valley Institute, a sustainability-focused think tank, less than a third of Pennsylvanians said they supported continued fracking in the state.

Popular support for fracking has declined in Pennsylvania as understanding of its adverse effects has grown. A review of more than 2,500 scientific, medical, government and media reports — many of which focused on Pennsylvania — found that fracking is linked to numerous health problems, including cancer, asthma and congenital anomalies. The evidence is staggering, but here are some particularly egregious examples: An August 2023 report by the University of Pittsburgh determined that children living within a mile of a natural gas fracking well were seven times more likely to contract lymphoma, a rare form of childhood cancer. Another study found that children within a mile of a fracking well were also more likely to develop juvenile leukemia.