Grace Wildermuth
Northeastern PA Resident and Student at Middlebury College, VT 

Natural gas development is an issue that should not be political but, rather, be based upon common sense, logic and science.  Energy policy is too important an issue to be mired in petty partisan gamesmanship.  What we need is education on the facts.

After years of hearing about the contentious issue of hydraulic fracturing for natural gas in our local newspapers, in township meetings, and on the news, the debate has been considered through the lens of many different polarities: urban vs. rural, tourists vs. residents, etc. Although some of this seems only natural based on interest groups, one polarity deeply troubles me: Republican vs. Democrat.

Americans love polarities. We have become a culture so obsessed with categorizing people that we have started preventing them from thinking for themselves, from forming their own opinions. Personally, many of my opinions don’t fit neatly into the narrow cookie-cutter molds of the stereotypes that have been placed on me. This became very apparent in my sophomore year of college.

I am a varsity athlete at a Division III school, which thankfully allows me to simultaneously compete in athletics while pursuing other interests and passions. One of those passions is social justice, so I began to join groups and discussions about the issue on campus. It was disappointing to find that other members of social justice groups continually spoke of athletes as if they had no concern for the well being of others.  Although I shared the same passion and interest for social justice issues as the rest of the group, I was not made to feel welcome.

Luckily for me, I have many interests and passions (perhaps too many), and was able to simply direct my attention towards other topics. But as I look back on my attempt to dedicate myself to the cause, I can’t help but think that the cause lost a voice, lost a soldier, lost a resource simply because people made assumptions. How many others, whom they may have learned from or been supported by, have been turned away?

As I become more involved in the discourse surrounding fracking for natural gas, I again feel the limits of stereotypes and assumptions hindering support for the issue. I hear and read statements about the liberals/democrats that are obstructing economic growth from natural gas extraction. I have even heard speakers at pro-fracking events blame liberals, supposedly not considering that some of the supporters in the audience may take offense.

You see, I identify as a Democrat, and a fairly liberal one at that. It is always assumed that because of my political opinions, I must oppose fracking. But why? Not only did the Democratic Party join the Republican Party in its support for natural gas extraction in its recent party platform, but with only two major political party choices in this country, one cannot expect that Americans align with their political parties on every issue.

Hydraulic fracturing for natural gas is not a political issue, but a common sense one. It is about energy independence, re-energizing rural America, providing a cheaper, cleaner energy and providing jobs. Instead of laying blame and pointing fingers, perhaps those who support natural gas ought to spend more time on education and outreach.

Many Americans have never heard of “fracking” and may not yet have an opinion on the issue. In this 2012 study, 63% of respondents had “never heard of” or were “not familiar” with hydraulic fracturing. Let’s tell them our story and point to the science before they have their mind made for them.