There has been a good bit of discussion about the Sierra Club's position on natural gas extraction technologies. To put things in proper perspective, please refer to the newly adopted Sierra Club policy on natural gas extraction through fracturig (pdf), which is the method used in some geological formations in the United States.
The national Board of Directors adopted this policy revision in December 2009. It reflects a policy development process that lasted for over a year and included extensive research and deliberation by a Club task force. This policy represents a refinement of the Sierra Club's overall Energy Resources Policy, to address the specific concerns associated with this new production methodology. The Energy Resources Policy guides Club advocacy as we move from dirty, polluting energy sources to clean energy solutions.
Club Vice President Robin Mann's Response to Wall Street Journal Article
In response to a December 2009 article in the Wall Street Journal that misrepresented Sierra Club's Energy Resources Policy, Vice President for Conservation Robin Mann submitted the following letter to the editor:
The Sierra Club believes we must use the least polluting energy sources available, and among the fossil fuels, natural gas clearly has the smallest environmental footprint ("Sierra Club's Pro-Gas Dilemma," Business, Dec. 22). We must shift the nation's economy away from fossil fuels to clean energy as rapidly as possible. We recognize that while we are in the transition away from fossil fuels, it's very important during that transition to burn the cleanest available choice, even if imperfect. So the Sierra Club strongly favors burning natural gas, where possible, in place of coal or oil. But natural gas, like any fossil fuel, has adverse environmental impacts -- and if not properly and carefully produced, can have unnecessarily large and very damaging effects on air and water quality. So the Sierra Club also insists that we adopt strong rules to ensure that all natural gas is produced using the best possible environmental practices, and avoiding inappropriate drilling sites (like the New York City watershed or wilderness areas.)
It oversimplifies our view to say that we are either "boosters" or "opponents" of natural gas -- we want to produce it as cleanly as possible, and substitute it for fuels that are dirtier.
Sincerely yours,
Robin Mann
Vice President for Conservation
Sierra Club
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