In a February 23, 2014 Austin American-Statesman article entitled Central Texans, be fretful of fracking, Luke Metzger and Elizabeth Reibschlaeger wrote about two drilling companies that plan to drill 12 wells in Bastrop and Lee counties to frack for oil and gas. Fracking is a highly controversial and environmentally devastating practice that poses a myriad of risks to the environment and its inhabitants (that’s you, my friend). If you’re not familiar with this practice, an internet search will be quite an eye opener. And please explore H.R. 2825, the CLEANER Act, which proposes to close the hazardous waste loophole that frackers are attempting to use as an exemption from The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, our nation’s hazardous waste law.
In drought-stricken central Texas, it stuns me that something so notoriously wasteful and harmful would even be considered. So I thought I’d ask the Earth’s Masters, Teachers and Loved Ones about fracking.
Question: Please talk about fracking and its impact on the environment. I’ve been concerned about this issue for a while and now I understand that it could happen in the Austin area. Are there potential planetary benefits to harnessing energy in this way that I may not be seeing?
Answer: This is rather clear cut, actually. Fracking is not an intelligent way to harness energy at all. It leaves the earth in a near total state of depletion and takes an enormous amount of time and energy to recover from. Those areas where fracking has stripped the planet of its resources will never be the same…not in your lifetime or any other. The Earth will recover, eventually, but that land will be forever changed…and you won’t be around to see it because it will literally take thousands of years to heal. Can things be done to speed that recovery along? Absolutely. Trees are the most important things to reintroduce into those areas. But why destroy your Mother (Earth) in this way to begin with?
Q: So there are truly no benefits to harnessing energy through fracking? Nothing I may be missing?
A: There really aren’t. But that doesn’t mean you need throw your hands up in defeat. If you’re looking for a cause to get involved with, this would be a worthy one (of so many). Perhaps you want to stop this from happening before it takes hold in your area. Then find the resources to help you do that and become a voice of reason. But if your local area has already been wiped out by the frackers who took all the land had to give and left it utterly devastated, join together with others in your community to begin replanting trees. There are many other things you can to do help as well, but that’s the best place to start. Until new trees are planted, you cannot begin to address the toxicity levels in the water table. These trees will give their lives in service to healing the planet, but they can be used for no other purpose than sponges for toxic waste. They, too, will eventually need to be destroyed and a next generation of trees replanted. That should give you an idea of just how long it will take that section of earth to recover. The land that has been stripped by fracking is no longer fit for human consumption. Stop this practice and use your intelligence to find and utilize renewable, sustainable, energy resources. Invest your money in them, for they will help lead you out of this morass.
Q: That brings up questions about how to safely destroy trees once they’ve absorbed those toxins and whether there’s something else (hemp, maybe?) that could be planted along with the trees that might escalate the clean up? I’m out of my depth here, obviously, and this is probably a good topic for a scientist, but can you say a bit more?
A: Yes, indeed, this is a good topic for a scientist or botanist, but we’re glad your interest is piqued. There are a number of plants that could be used to assist, but hemp is not a good choice for this particular endeavor because it isn’t hearty enough for the job. Actually, there are several herbs that could help detoxify the land as well, including things like mistletoe, verbena, and others with certain healing and detoxifying properties.
It is important that those with the knowledge and background to help with these monumental tasks learn how to work directly with us in the Earth’s Record. The information will flow because they know the right questions to ask, but a longer discussion is needed to outline a program to address fracking, and the other environmental challenges at hand. Your job here is to start the conversation and to help people understand that the Record is a limitless resource that is barely being tapped, and which you all, as stewards of the Earth, can easily learn to communicate and make a difference with. We look forward to it!
NOTE: YouTube has a number of videos about fracking, but here’s a five minute explanation of what it is:
(Earth Speak articles arise from working directly in the Earth’s Record and are in Q&A format. They are a beginning conversation only, and you can delve deeper by taking a class yourself. In the meantime, your questions are welcome and can be sent via the Contact page. Love your Mother!)
©2014 Maria K. Benning, www.earthsrecord.com.
Maria K. Benning, MEd, inspires environmental stewardship by teaching individuals and organizations how to access the Earth’s Akashic Record as an invaluable resource for planetary and personal transformation. Learn more at www.earthsrecord.com. With a slightly different focus, Beginning and Foundation “how to” classes are targeted at developing a personal practice in the Akash and reading for others.
