Marcellus Shale Drilling

I had the opportunity to participate in one of the Peace Forum series on Oct. 2 held at the Kearns Spirituality Center at La Roche College. This specific Peace Forum surrounded the topic of Marcellus Shale drilling and how it can affect all of us.

I was not familiar with shale drilling before the forum and was surprised by what I learned.

In Allegheny County and surrounding areas there exist many shale drilling sites used to obtain gas. One might think nothing of shale drilling at first glance, but there are many detrimental effects shale drilling has that disrupt the peace and justice that we as a community want for our world.

Impacts of shale drilling can cause pollution to our air and water, be a risk in workers' safety, and have a negative effect on the health of the people in the drilling areas.

Holding ponds containing chemicals are known to leak and the drilling process has caused a series of mini-earthquakes, especially in the Texas area. The main concern of those against the drilling is that we don’t know the long-term consequences.

This both surprised and challenged me into thinking how we can trust a process that has negative effects, and we don’t even know what it will bring in our future?

What the Peace Forum really taught me was the importance of having a consciousness in regards to what is happening in our surrounding area.

I will not be able to make a significant change in this world, a goal of my college, if I am not informed about what is going on where I live. I was awed by the strong voice of our community members and their willingness to take a stance against this important issue.

We as a community work toward not only ending shale drilling, but finding ways to monitor air quality and treatment of contaminated waters. The Peace Forum allowed me to hear from protest groups against shale drilling as well as the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania, who work toward a cleaner environment.

I would regard the Peace Forum as a very rewarding experience and encourage community members to attend them at La Roche College to learn about how to make a more peaceful world.

I not only learned about the negative effects of Marcellus Shale drilling but I realized the importance of having a voice in your community and being informed about issues in your surrounding area as well as the world.