One of the biggest firms responsible for the practice of fracking has admitted that their actions caused seismic activity in England.

Fracking involves cracking or fracturing rock, containing trapped shale gas, by using pressurized liquid. Shale gas is an increasingly important energy resource though there have been claims that it is worse for the environment than coal, largely due to the fracking process.

Analysis showed that shortly after hydraulic fracturing began small earthquakes started occurring, and more than 50 were identified, of which 43 were large enough to be located. Most of these earthquakes occurred within a 24 hour period after hydraulic fracturing operations had ceased. There have been previous cases where seismologists have suggested a link between hydraulic fracturing and earthquakes, but data was limited, so drawing a definitive conclusion was not possible for these cases.

Drilling either for fossil fuels or renewable energy exploration may cause earthquakes. Both geophysicists and oilmen agree that natural-gas drilling trigger earthquakes. One oilman stated that "there is not the slightest doubt" that gas production caused the temblors."

A New York Times report confirmed drilling for oil sets off earthquakes and detailed how a drilling project near San Francisco and a similar project in Basel, Switzerland were shut down over concerns they triggered damaging earthquakes. Both diggings involved fracturing hard rock more than two miles deep.

Large earthquakes tend to originate at great depths, breaking rock that far down carries more serious risk. Seismologists have long known that human activities can trigger quakes, but they say the science is not developed enough to say for certain what will or will not set off major tremors.

The time for denial is over. So, how are we going to stop them?

Get organized.

editor's note: Tonight at 7PM, the group ‘Brazilian Support NYC’ will hold a rally in Union Square in coordination with a General Strike called in Brazil by several major Unions that same day. Outraged at the brutality shown by the Military Police in various cities in Brazil during the most recent massive protests since early June, the group will focus their message against repression and will connect to local struggles, having the rally in solidarity with Ramarley’s Call, a group that works to bring justice to the Graham and other families who have lost their loved ones at the hands of a brutal and racist New York Police Department. At 7:30 pm there will be a joint speak-out together with the families of victims of the NYPD, to connect between global and local struggles against police brutality: from NYC to Brazil: No More Police Brutality!

Although not isolated from the uprisings that have been taking place around the world, the protests that have been taking place in Brazil are not merely a reflection of the global mood. In addition to the battles in the streets, there is a contest of stories taking place. Various forces across a diverse political landscape are locked in their attempts to manipulate and transform the narrative of this historic upheaval in their own image.

As is now very known, the spark that led to the protests was the increase of 20 cents in Brazilian reals on public transportation fares in São Paulo and other cities. The group that led the demonstrations from the beginning was the Free Fare Movement, known as MPL. It was formed after the World Social Forum in 2005, in the city of Porto Alegre. MPL defines itself as an horizontal, autonomous, nonviolent and non-partisan organization with a clear agenda: free and decent public transportation. In response to the most recent hike, starting on June 6, thousands responded to MPL’s calls and barricaded highways and avenues.

The marches were met with extreme brutality. A paramilitary police force used tear gas, rubber bullets and other so-called “non-lethal weapons” against peaceful protesters. There were hundreds of arrests. Over the course of one week, several more marches were organized, and their size grew. The repression from police escalated, and so did the protesters’ response. Buses, train stations and banks were looted. The numbers on the streets only increased, and the scope of political dissent expanded from just transportation to a much wider range of issues.

Meanwhile, the mass media played a role in trying to diminish the significance of the protests. “There is maybe the influence from the struggle in Turkey, where the fight is just and important,” political commentator Arnaldo Jabor said on national TV. “But this revolted middle class here isn’t worth even 20 cents.” Protesters were called “vandals” and “barbarians.” The São Paulo newspaper Folha published an editorial on June 13 claiming that “the few protesters that have something in their heads besides their hoodies justify the looting as a response to the supposed police violence.” But that night, Giuliana Vallone, a young reporter from the same newspaper, was shot in the eye with a rubber bullet by a military police officer. A photo of her injured face spread around the world.

As the protesters gained support from a large part of the population, a change came over the discourse of the Brazilian media. Jabor apologized publicly, saying that he actually wanted to see the youth in the streets. One day, the news was deeming the protesters vandals, and the next they became heroes. Pundits began calling on the youth to go to the streets wearing white, to ask for peace, and to fight for a “better country” and against “corruption.” Many activists blame this media endorsement for the increasingly nationalistic tone that subsequently came over the protests.

On June 17 there was a nationwide demonstration. Each city had its own way of participating. Demands relating to a variety of issues were on display, from transportation to education to the expense of preparing for the World Cup. But the overall tone was a very nationalist one. People were singing Brazil’s national anthem in the streets, and the country’s flag was everywhere.

In the capital city of Brasília, demonstrators take to the roof of the National Congress on June 17 during the largest mass demonstration in Brazil’s history.\ (NINJA Media)

“The march felt like a celebration of a World Cup victory,” wrote blogger, activist and sociologist Marilia Moschovich on the website Medium. “Ironic, right?”

It began to appear as if the demonstrations had been steered by the establishment media and its language of “corruption” as a nationalist uprising against the current president, Dilma Roussef, and her left-wing Worker’s Party. The next day was especially confusing for the leftists who had worked to organize the movement in the first place.

“Everything is so weird,” wrote Moschovich.

Despite the proliferation of agendas, MPL was clear about its aims from the beginning. Pedro Brandão, one of MPL’s organizers, said the morning of June 18, “We will keep pushing to revoke the hike. That’s what we went to the streets for.” He added, “Once we achieve the revocation of the hike, we will be an example of how autonomous, horizontal movements can achieve concrete victories with clear demands.”

Sure enough, by the end of the day, the fare hikes in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro had been cancelled.

The next day, MPL went to the streets of São Paulo to celebrate its victory, but protests continued across the majority of the country. Narratives became confusing as initially non-partisan messages were replaced with opposition to one party or another. Left-wing partisans were attacked by members of the extreme right and neo-Nazi groups. While the mainstream media kept pushing the conversation against corruption, blaming the Worker’s Party for all the country’s problems, some began to fear for a mobilization of the extreme right and even the possibility of a military coup.

As more time passes, however, no such coup seems likely. Moschovich wrote, “In the current moment, I think it is more likely to have a public opinion coup that will support authoritarian conservative politics within a democratic state.”

Countering that narrative, in turn, Brazil’s government took steps to address more of the protesters’ demands that it wanted to highlight. President Dilma proposed that all oil revenue should go to education and health care; this proposal has already undergone many changes, however, and it is still being debated by the legislature.

“The giant woke up” has been the slogan used by media. And, like the 2011 uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt, there was enough unity about demands to compel prompt action from those in power. But the question remains of how the breadth of discontent in Brazil will be channelled by those in the streets and those with access to the media.

University of São Paulo professor Pablo Ortellado believes that the strategy of concrete demands should continue to guide the narrative. “The comrades from the popular committees against the World Cup need to find the ‘20 cents’ of their campaigns,” he wrote on his Facebook page, “so that we can articulate the struggle throughout the country on a strategy of effective achievements.”

Occupy (Inter)National Gathering 2013

Attendance encouraged by all Occupiers and interested parties. Occupy Kalamazoo will be hosting the second round of Occupy National conferences, August 21-25, 2013, following the wildly successful Occupy National Gathering that took place in Philadelphia, PA, July 2012.

We, the National Gathering Working Group 2013 (NGWG2013), propose a National Gathering of the Occupy Movement, and peoples’ movements worldwide, in Kalamazoo Michigan, to collectively assemble and embrace our different ideologies and perspectives; to find our common visions; to share our strategies and actions; and to leave this gathering with steps we can all take in both agreement and diversity; for ourselves, our communities, our nations, and for all of us all over the world.

We further propose that our convergence begin on Aug. 21 and continue for five days of Community and Movement building exercises including speakers, teach-ins, and free-flowing open discussion at a location to be determined by the Occupy Kalamazoo General Assembly (UpJohn Park is being negotiated). We believe it’s time the people of the world spoke to each other about how to make a better world. We ask you to converge with us, to bring your ideas, your struggles, and your voice and come to Kalamazoo! There will be a special focus on indigenous peoples, race, gender and class throughout the convergences.

Occupy National Gathering working group (NGWG2013) is a coalition of Occupy movements from cities around the world, uniting in solidarity with Occupy Wall Street and with Occupy and peoples’ movements worldwide.

Where

Many people ask why Kalamazoo? Bill Moyer said it best on a planning call, that Michigan is a hotbed of activist activity at this moment in history. Environmental issues plague the state and the Great Lakes; the political situation rallied tens of thousands as Rick Snyder eroded the state’s unions; there are Drones bases and a solid anti-war base, and Kalamazoo has a reputation for being the sixth-meanest city in the country towards its homeless population. A homeless Bill of Rights is being worked on by Occupy Kalamazoo.

Kalamazoo is a Pottawatomie word that is said to mean “the Land of Boiling Water”. On July 25th, 2010, the Kalamazoo River was destroyed as over 1 million gallons (a publicly stated figure) of Tar Sand Oil, along with 40% of that volume in Benzene, was pumped into our river at high pressure for more than 17 consecutive hours, killing everything in the river for almost 40 miles. The Tar Sand Oil (literally the most harmful kind of oil possible) is so dense that it sank to the bottom of the river. There most of it now sits, loosely covered by sand in the bed of the Kalamazoo. More than 60 people and countless animals and plants are dead because the Oil Company Enbridge found a cover-up to be more cost efficient than addressing their mess. Whereas Enbridge employees were covered in protective gear and would be sent home the spill breached a 500-yard perimeter, trailer parks and homes within 500 yards were told to simply shut their windows. During Christmas Week 2011 alone, 5 trailer-park residents died as a result of health complications controversially linked to the Tar Sands Oil spill..

Why/Theme

The focus of the Occupy National Gathering will be leadership building and people powered training, education, and actions. To empower people with trainings to take back to their community and spread positive and effective change in their communities.

Aug 21st: Renew Kalamazoo and your community.
Aug 22nd: Making and Supporting Free, Unfettered Media
Aug 23rd: Fixing Fossil Fuels and Creating an Environmentally Sustainable Future.
Aug 24th: Economic and Trade Justice, Equal Access and Ending Corporate “Personhood”, Asserting the People’s Sovereignty.
Aug 25th: Ending War and Our Police State, Building Peace and Cooperation.
Read More...

via OccupyDenver:

It’s been said by some that Occupy Denver does not give the Denver Police Department the respect they deserve. To that end we would ask what respect should we give to a violent and patriarchal institution that serves only those in power and uses threats of rape to try to intimidate into silence those who dissent? DPD has no respect for the people whom they purport to “protect and serve” nor any allegiance to the constitution for which they “swore” an oath to uphold. DPD has a long and ongoing history of violence, corruption, operating with impunity and zero accountability. At Denver’s Restore The Fourth Amendment March on July 4th Dist. 6 Officer Mark Moore assaulted a woman by running into her, and over her foot with a motorcycle. DPD then wrongfully arrested her, and one other person. This is not the first time Officer Moore has done this. On October 14th 2011 he ran over another protestor’s foot with a motorcycle. For more info on this thug please visit West Denver Copwatch. For videos of the protest click here and here.

On July 5th 2013 at approximately 5:45 p.m. Catherine Keffer arrived at Boycott the Palm. Here is Catherine’s account:

“There were already several other protesters actively expressing their disapproval of The Palm’s support of the Urban Camping Ban. There were also approximately 7 DPD officers and Sgt. Ortega present. Myself and Alex Pickruhn were on the corner of 17th and Arapahoe holding a banner and passing out fliers.

We walked back around to the main protest area. As we walked by there were 4 officers on motorcycles. They were met with verbal frustrations over their continued misconduct and abuse of power. One officer said to Mr. Pickruhn, ‘I hope that your mother is raped so that I can respond to the call to help her.’

We continued to protest at The Palm until approximately 9:20 p.m. at which point we left to walk down the 16th Street Mall towards the ArtWalk. We noticed two officers in a cruiser that had been parked at Boycott the Palm. They noticed us, made eye contact and continued driving. We saw them turn around on the mall and begin following us, but they were still a block away so we were unsure what they were doing. As we were crossing the crosswalk, the same cruiser sped up past us and turned into the next alleyway. We continued walking. As we approached the alley one of the officers lunged at us, grabbing Mr. Pickruhn saying “come here”. Mr. Pickruhn was forced to the ground, put in handcuffs and taken into the alley, out of visible sight. They immediately searched him and all of his possessions, forming a wall of officers to block what was happening in the alley from me and any other people walking by.

While all of this was happening Sgt. Ortega pulled up in a cruiser, parked in the middle of the mall and approached me, attempting to grab my wrist. I immediately put my hands up and asked repeatedly if I was being detained. Sgt. Ortega only said that I was with someone who threatened his officer and that I could be detained but they never actually detained me. I was told that if we would have conducted ourselves more “professionally” this wouldn’t be happening. I was also told that Sgt. Ortega and other officers would harass me as long as I continued to conduct myself in this manner. My wallet was in the backpack that was being carried by Mr. Pickruhn at the time. Sgt. Ortega asked if I wanted it back but demanded an apology for my behavior in order to get it.

Upon searching Mr. Pickruhn, the officers found marijuana which he is legal to have. The Denver officers claimed that it was for distribution and arrested him. They also seized all of our money, which wasn’t very much, and put it in evidence rather than in his personal property. Mr. Pickruhn was arrested and transported to the Denver City Jail.

At approximately 12:55 a.m. I was on the 16th street mall charging my phone in hopes of accepting Alex Pickruhn’s call from jail. As I sat there alone, the 2 officers on motorcycles that were there earlier at Boycott the Palm, one of them is Officer McGrail and the other unknown, drove up, parking approximately 5 feet from where I was sitting. They stayed there, stared at me, wouldn’t say anything to me and didn’t leave until after I left with a concerned friend who had walked up.

At approximately 1:15, July 6th, I spoke with Alex Pickruhn via video phone at the city jail. Mr. Pickruhn told me he was threatened by DPD that they were going to find me and “get me alone”, while he was in jail the night before. Knowing that i am his girlfriend, it was clear what they were implying. I have safe places to stay and friends. I am actively seeking assistance in raising $350 to post bond tonight so that he will be released tomorrow morning after going through pretrial services. Any other donations for legal costs would be greatly appreciated”

Alex Pickruhn has no official charges against him, he is being held on $2000 bail for felony investigation for possession with intent to distribute when he was originally stopped for allegedly verbally threatening an officer even though the only threats came from the police officers themselves. He has told the Occupy Denver Legal Support Team that he is being mistreated in jail and is concerned for his safety. We are collecting funds to post bond and get him released as quickly as possible. Please click here for our legal fund donation page if you are able to help.

The 2 arrested during the Restore the 4th March were released on bond thank you to everyone who donated!

Whether you are protesting the erosion of our rights both constitutional and innate, or boycotting a classist restaurant that supported making homelessness illegal there is no excuse for us to allow DPD or any “law enforcement” to threaten, harass, and assault members of the community. If DPD can’t get their cops under control then police abolition is inevitable. When the corporately run government can decide they can overrule your rights, we can decide to overrule the government.

The following excerpts come from a statement issued by حركة عصيان / Disobedience Movement in Tunisia, which begins by addressing some of the failures of the revolutionary movement to achieve lasting, material change in people's everyday lives:

Now over two years have passed since the outbreak of the uprisings. Yet, despite the creation of a new government and in spite of the abundance of promises and electoral programs, the economic and social crisis continues to worsen and the conditions of the majority of people (wage-earners, the unemployed, the poor and the marginalized) are deteriorating. The political parties’ worsening rivalry over power is driving the country toward civil war. Political institutions, especially the Constituent Assembly as well as the government, the prefectures and sub-prefectures, etc., claim bankruptcy and have proven incapable of finding solutions. These institutions have actually become part of the problem.

The new rulers scramble over privileges and rush to grab positions of local authority and influence. The system of favoritism, patronage, and loyalism is back. Moreover, both police and the military fail to provide real security and are executing the same brutal repression tactics against protests. On the other hand, while the owners of fortunes, businessmen, and brokers of every sort are getting richer, the State keeps boosting prices and calls for the removal of subsidies on all basic consumer goods (as dictated by the International Monetary Fund). The State is also cancelling unemployment insurance, cutting jobs, and calling off all the social gains earned by the masses during the early part of the revolutionary movement. The masses pay the price of the crisis under the mottoes of “Commonwealth” and “Saving the National Economy” -- that is, saving capital from its generalized crisis.

However, our Tunisian comrades also have some suggestions for addressing this situation:

The above-mentioned weaknesses, among many others, urge the revolutionary elements to take the responsibility of creating a practical organizational and planning structure that is capable of unifying forces which is the only starting point if we are to overrun the current system. In this context, we would like to suggest to our comrades the following points that could represent a unifying general plan of action:

1- Struggle to create a new economic and social system that breaks with capitalism and all existing economic mechanisms based on profit and competition. This break cannot be achieved unless labor and the ownership of the means necessary for the production of social wealth are turned into social ownership managed by cooperatives where all members of society contribute on the basis of solidarity and fair distribution of wealth, and unless production is oriented towards the satisfaction of people’s real needs not the accumulation of profit.

2- Militance against the authoritarian State apparatus and its hierarchical structures no matter the form it takes, whether liberal democratic or fascist/totalitarian, theological, or progressive. The objective is the creation of cooperative self-managed administration of public affairs where every member of society contributes in a direct way without political representation. According to historical experiences of revolutionary movements and the lessons learned from them, the most convenient way to achieve this is through local autogestion councils in cities, districts, villages, and counties which create a national autogestion federation through the direct election of delegates who are assigned for predetermined tasks and who could be ousted by the peoples' councils. In this context, our revolutionary tactics are based on supporting and contributing to all spontaneous initiatives taken by the masses in revolt in order to establish revolutionary councils with the goal of expanding militancy and building a cooperative self-managed power parallel to the authority of the State and its apparatuses.

3- Resistance against all tools of social domestication seeking to hold back the massive revolutionary movement within the limits of the prevailing social system -- no matter what forms they take, whether syndicalist (bureaucratic unions), partisan (both ruling and opposing political parties involved in the regime), or religious (theocratic parties and religious institutions legitimizing oppression and exploitation). In this context, we support and contribute to any initiative aimed at the creation of free, independent and self-managed social spaces which manage the material and spiritual life of all society's members on the basis of liberating beliefs from all sorts of constraints, especially initiatives to resist the division of the revolutionary movement into any religious, sectorial or tribal factions.

4- Linking our struggles to all revolutionary movements fighting global capitalism worldwide -- for we consider the promotion of international solidarity among revolting masses in the East as well as in the West to be, on one hand, the only practical way of resisting all forms of political and military interventions seeking to counteract the revolutionary wave witnessed in many countries, and, on the other hand, of preventing any attempt to drag workers and all the victims of capitalism to stand behind the rivaling bourgeois parties in the name of “Defending the Nation,” “Spreading Democracy,” “War on Terrorism,” or any other kind of illusory ideological motto.

There is much here that resonates with our struggles as well, and much for us to learn. To read the full statement in Arabic, see here via Tahir-ICN.