From Facing South: http://www.southernstudies.org/2013/07/frackings-democracy-disconnect.html
By Sue Sturgis
on Mon, 07/15/2013
Though North Carolina lawmakers have acted aggressively to promote fracking, it turns out the majority of the state’s residents oppose the controversial method of gas drilling.
A new poll released today by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) found that 55 percent of North Carolinians statewide oppose proposals to open up the state to fracking, which involves pumping massive amounts of water and chemicals underground to extract natural gas. And two-thirds of those opposed, or 35 percent of all North Carolina residents, say they are strongly opposed.
The areas of the state where people most strongly reject fracking are the Triangle (59 percent), the easternmost and westernmost parts of the state (55 percent), and the Charlotte metro area (53 percent). Fracking is opposed by 48 percent of Triad area residents.
Only 37 percent of North Carolinians support fracking, according to the poll.
The survey also found that 71 percent of North Carolina residents said they would “have serious concerns” about a lawmaker who voted to remove established safeguards on fracking that protect air and water quality. The drilling method has been linked to health-damaging air and water pollution.
In addition, 75 percent of respondents said current North Carolina environmental standards and regulatory safeguards are about right or too weak, while only 13 percent think they are too strong. About 56 percent of those surveyed oppose the effort by some lawmakers to repeal the state’s clean energy standard. That effort appears dead for now after meeting opposition from business interests.
Continue reading at: http://www.southernstudies.org/2013/07/frackings-democracy-disconnect.html
