One Mi’kmaq man’s perspective on shale gas

I am not a politician, I am not an activist, and I am not a scientist. I am Mi’kmaq and we are keepers of the land we know as Turtle Island or what the rest of the world knows as North America. I am from Elsipogtog First Nation.  But more important than that, I am a human being. I do not represent the views of all of the Mi’kmaq Nation, or the views of Elsipogtog First Nation. I represent myself, but not only myself but my children, my children’s children, and the rest of my descendents that have yet to come. I do not have to be a politician, an activist or scientist to know that shale gas fracking is wrong!

There is a balance in the natural flow of life. Just like when you open your car window, half the air goes out, and half the air goes in. There is always the same amount of anything everywhere. By changing the structure and natural balance within the earth, how do we know that it will do nothing to the outside in which we live.  When you start changing the inside of anything by removing something in it, it disrupts the balance. It seems true now that with all the environmental changes we have going on. We are getting stronger storms, more violent earthquakes, and the earth is warming pretty quickly.

First of all, we have already started pumping oil out of the ground now for a while now.  We think that just because it is there that it was there for us. How do we know that the oil that has been taken out was not used by the earth to lubricate the plates? Is it also possible that the friction that the less lubricated plates rubbing together is the reason for the extra heat. I’m not a scientist but when you rub two unlubricated sticks together, it makes fire. Or if you push two unlubricated sticks together, there is more vibration than you would with lubricated ones. Now think of it in a larger scale. This could explain the more violent earthquakes that we have seen in the past few decades. Also this could explain why the planet is heating up. I am not stating a fact but it is a viable cause.  How do we know that the fierce tornados and hurricanes are not trying to cool the earth?  Or the tsunamis are Mother Earth’s way of fighting back!

And now we want to make cracks inside the earth so we can extract a gas that is locked inside the pockets of the Earth’s crust. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that this is just plain stupid. It is like thinking that if I were to make cracks inside the foundation of a house, it would not fall. Wouldn’t that make it easier for more violent earthquakes or other harmful gases to come up and contaminate everything? And they say that the cracks that they create will be small.  Yes maybe you’re right, however, a lot of small cracks in many different areas will create a much larger unstable area. Some scientists say that it is safe. But how can we know that it will stay safe in say 100 years, 500 or even a 1000? That is a big risk that we are taking.  It may not seem like one now, however, this is just a start.

New Brunswick is a beautiful province.  It is rich in clean air, clean springs, and a very beautiful land. Many wealthy people have chosen this place as a refuge and it is also the home of the Mikmaq.  If all the money in the world disappeared, we can still survive. But once the Earth goes, we have nothing. We cannot survive without our planets natural resources. The loud trucks that will be passing by, the polluted air, and possible contaminated water will drive out the moose, may kill off our salmon, and disrupt the very delicate ecosystem that is unique to this region. The rich say that if it gets bad, we can move. The poor say, if it gets bad, where can we go? The almighty dollar will do nothing for you, when the Earth finally has enough and shakes us off the planet for good. The money you make will not make the air breathable nor the water drinkable. Nor will it make the foundation of Earth stronger.

All life depends on water, from the tiniest bacteria to the largest tree. I do not want to paint a bleak picture but it is what it is. The circle of life is so interconnected and so delicate that every action we take, there is an opposite and equal reaction. I can’t begin to imagine the consequences of shale gas fracking. It is too overwhelming to completely process. Even the weatherman is sometimes wrong when predicting the weather.  And they are supposed to be experts. But even if we could predict the weather, there is no way we can control it. And the foundation of our Earth is more important and larger than the weather.  So really we don’t know what will happen.  And what happens to one, will happen to all. It does not matter if you’re rich or poor. It also does not matter if your white, black, yellow, red or polka dotted. We will all suffer. Mother Earth will always win no matter what. She will always protect herself. Even if it means getting rid of us all.

So to the Alward government, please think about what your doing. We beg you. The lives our children, grandchildren, etc. depend on us. We need to keep our water, air, and land clean so that we can all keep living for generations to come. Yes, the planet is very polluted, but we do not have to add to it. The Earth is always replenishing itself, but we are destroying it faster than she can fix it. How terrible it would be if our descendants could not eat or drink water anymore. I do not want this and I pray that you do not either!