Businesses Against Fracking New York is an initiative co-sponsored by New Yorkers Against Fracking and the New York State Sustainable Business Council. Our goal is to help provide a voice for businesses that support a ban on fracking in New York, and will work together to build an economy based on energy efficiency, conservation, and safer, renewable energy production.
We represent a growing movement of business leaders, across New York State and the nation representing many sectors, who recognize that fracking is not the answer to our state’s economic or energy challenges. Already over 1,000 businesses have spoken in agreement by signing onto our campaign.
We value affordable energy that is not vulnerable to foreign policy-induced supply disruptions. We also value sources of energy and electricity that are clean and do not exacerbate the pace and severity of climate change. We believe that the best way to achieve these objectives, in the long run, is to transition away from fossil fuels, and develop and deploy safe, renewable and energy efficiency technologies to meet our energy needs, both for liquid transportation fuels and for electricity production. We believe that this goal should be pursued vigorously through public policy as well as private investment, which reached a record-high $257 billion in renewables globally in 2011. This path will help grow NYS businesses, jobs and help create a more stable and vibrant economy.
As business leaders, we share a concern that fracking would harm the sustainable development potential of New York’s major business sectors including tourism, recreation, agriculture, food and beverages, restaurants, real estate and our main street businesses throughout the state. Fracking poses unacceptable risks of contamination to water, air, and land, and endangerment of public health, animal health, and communities upstate and down, all of which will have a negative economic impacts. Consequently, we support a ban on fracking in New York. Business owners are speaking out against fracking because they believe any modest benefits do not outweigh associated short and long term costs to our local and state economy, to public health, to lost opportunity, to quality of life, and to industries that provide hundreds of thousands of jobs to New Yorkers which will now be threatened by contamination.
BAFNY believes that it just makes good business to pursue a NYS energy plan that transitions away from fossil fuels and towards renewables.
To learn more please visit Business Concerns About Fracking.
New Yorkers Against Fracking is a coalition that includes members from every part of the state and a diverse collection of consumer advocacy, health, religious, food, and environmental organizations and dozens of grassroots groups. Visit the website: http://nyagainstfracking.org/
The New York State Sustainable Business Council is an emerging alliance of business networks and businesses committed to promoting practical strategies and policies that build strong local economies, incentivize investment and innovation in clean technologies, and advance the development of sustainable communities in NYS. Visit the website: http://asbcouncil.org/nysustainable
Business leaders who have sent a letter to Cuomo demanding a ban include:
| Larry Bennett Public Relations Manager, Brewery Ommegang |
Tommy Keegan Owner, Keegan Ales |
| Heather Carlucci Chef |
Guillaume Gauthereau CEO, Totsy.com |
| Jennifer Clark Owner, Eminence Road Farm Winery |
Darren Wiseman Licensed Realtor |
| Art Hunt Owner, Hunt Country Vineyards |
Kenneth Jaffe, MD Owner, Slope Farms |
Download the complete list of Businesses Against Fracking New York