Cherie Messore

Actors and activists speak out against economic prosperity at DEC public hearing in NYC

Nobody ever said science, facts and an exemplary track record would be scene-stealing or sexy. But when it comes to helping bolster New York state’s sluggish economy and putting more New Yorkers to work, science has to take a leading role.

The DEC Public Hearing at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center today is drawing a star-studded cast of anti-gas industry enthusiasts, including actress Debra Winger and actor Mark Ruffalo, who compared his role in the movie “The Avengers” to his activism against natural gas development.

Their claims of “keep our water clean” and “don’t pollute my air” are noble, but they are also histrionic, unnecessarily dramatic and based on exaggerated or untrue claims of environmental harm in other states.

The  often-debunked charges will be under scrutiny again as scientists and related geology professionals will assert in testimony today that hydraulic fracturing to release natural gas is safe, proven and important to New York’s future growth.

Dennis Holbrook, an IOGA of NY director and executive vice president at Norse Energy Corp once said in an interview that “It’s easier to scare people than to reassure them.”  That’s exactly what all this Hollywood-in-Tribeca big show was: a screamin’ scare fest. All the actors on stage and screen don’t have what industry and regulators have: first-hand knowledge and experience about natural gas development using hydraulic fracture stimulation. This technology will provide New York state with what it desperately needs: economic prosperity and job opportunities. Fictional anecdotes are like movie scripts: they tell a story and tug at heart strings. Science and facts record actual and provable events.

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