UU Santa Monica Peace & Justice Team presents Groundswell Rising

Sunday, October 11, 7:30pm
Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Santa Monica, California
FREE and open to the public
Second Sunday Supper: Pre-screening potluck at 6pm (FREE, bring food/drink to share)

Following Second Sunday Supper, Second Sunday Cinema presents: Groundswell Rising: Protecting our Chidren's Air & Water. Independent distributor Bullfrog Films says this documentary "gives voice to ordinary folks engaged in a David and Goliath struggle against Big Oil and Gas. We meet parents, scientists, doctors, farmers and individuals across the political spectrum decrying the energy extraction process known as fracking that puts profits over people. This provocative documentary tracks a grassroots movement exposing dangers to clean air, water, and civil rights."

Hydraulic fracturing or "fracking" is truly an issue of the moment, for myriad reasons. Evidence strongly suggests that its effects on air quality and groundwater are significant threats to environmental and human health, and that it is a cause of earthquakes, especially in several Midwestern states that have seen surprising spikes in seismic activity in recent years. Moreover, while cleaner-burning natural gas has often been lauded as a better energy source than coal and oil, we're learning that the drilling process itself often leaks enough methane, itself a potent greenhouse gas, to more than negate the benefits and contribute to Climate Change. However, unlike many environmental documentaries of the last several years that are often unavoidably gloomy, Groundswell Rising tells the inspiring stories of grassroots activists across the US (including well-known actor and NY State resident Mark Ruffalo) who are actually pushing back against the fracking boom and winning.

We can learn from them, because the use of fracking for shale oil in California is spreading. The city of Los Angeles placed a temporary moratorium on it last year, but Governor Brown has resisted calls for a statewide ban. And if you've turned on cable news anytime recently, you've probably seen one of the sunny ads that industry groups have been running as part of a massively-funded PR campaign to convince audiences that fracking is safe. This is a good time for us as a congregation to study the issue and decide how we can act.

More information: http://www.uusm.org/