Letter: Fracking hurts health and jobs

ISSUE | FRACKING

Health, jobs suffer

A commentary failed to mention the negative impacts of fracking ("Fracking is key to expansion of Pa. manufacturing," Friday). Studies have shown that pollution from gas infrastructure has devastating health impacts on nearby communities, such as increased hospitalizations for cardiovascular disease.

Air pollution-leaks from the gas industry include methane, a potent greenhouse gas that exacerbates climate change. Fortunately, Gov. Wolf recently announced a plan to significantly slash such leaks.

Fracking proponents tout jobs created by the industry, but reports have shown those numbers to be inflated, and pollution from fracking also can destroy jobs in major industries such as agriculture. Clean energy protects our health and could create triple the jobs of fossil-fuel projects for the same amount of electricity.

We should invest in the transition to renewable energy, demanding a healthy environment alongside a strong economy.

|Matt Walker, community outreach director, Clean Air Council, Philadelphia, mwalker@cleanair.org