Members of the Kainai Nation (Blood Tribe) and environmental advocates from all over southern Alberta will gather on Thursday, March 24, for a one-day conference on natural gas fracking.
The keynote speech will be delivered by Josh Fox, Oscar-nominated director of “Gasland,” a film about the widespread and dangerous effects of natural gas fracking in the United States.
The conference, which is open to the public, will build on months of community organizing and education efforts by Blood Tribe members and others from surrounding communities. The conference will end with the declaration of an action plan that calls for a ban on new fracking approvals until the practice can be guaranteed safe.
Blood Tribe opposition to fracking comes in the wake of a $50-million, 5-year lease signed between the Blood Tribe and Murphy Oil and Bowood Energy.
The type of hydraulic fracturing – or “fracking” – being proposed for Blood Tribe lands has been associated with widespread contamination of groundwater, adverse health effects for nearby residents, and negative environmental impacts.
The March 24 conference will build on other national efforts to have the practice banned, such as the recent decision in Quebec.
Conference Topics
The Medicine Wheel and the Environment
Blood Tribe Oil and Gas Agreement
Social and Economic Factors
Impact of Oil and Gas Drilling on People and Land
Environment and Health
Spirituality and the Environment
Keynote Speaker - JOSH FOX, director of Oscar nominated documentary film - GASLAND.
To register for the conference, email kainaiconference@gmail.com
The conference is open to the public and the fee is $10 (includes lunch and door prizes).
For more information, contact Lois Frank, conference coordinator at 403-737-2118 or franlv@uleth.ca