Almost two-thirds of Canadians surveyed last month for an Environics Research poll support a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing ñ or fracking ñ until the federal government conducts environmental reviews of the practice.The poll, commissioned by the Council of Canadians, found that 62 per cent of Canadians are in favour of a moratorium, the citizens' advocacy group announced last week.Federal studies on fracking are expected to be completed within two years and the council says the ìlack of strict, consistent regulationî of the practice makes the moratorium necessary.ìFracking for unconventional gas is rapidly expanding in almost every province across Canada,î the council said in a press release. ìIn addition to making local water flammable due to methane pollution, there have been numerous occasions of earthquakes near fracking sites. Fracking wastewater at numerous sites in the U.S. is too radioactive for water treatment plants to cope with safely.îThe council opposes fracking because of ìits high water use, its high greenhouse gas emissions, its impacts on human health, the disruption it causes to wildlife, and the danger it poses to groundwater and local drinking water,î Emma Lui, the council's water campaigner, said in the release.ìThe recent announcement of voluntary ëguiding principles' confirms the fracking industry is worried about the growing opposition. But these voluntary guidelines set by industry are classic greenwashing,î Lui said.Fracking involves the injection of water and chemicals underground at high pressure to create fractures in the underlying rock formations to extract the trapped gas and oil.The council has launched a ìFracker Tracker,î a web-map designed to ìtrack fracking threats across the country,î and is urging citizens to sign a petition to stop fracking at www.canadians.org/fracking.The Environics Research poll was conducted by telephone from Jan. 5-15 among a random sample of 2,000 Canadians, equally split between men and women.Last month, the Alberta Surface Rights Group called for the provincial government to impose a moratorium on fracking after a well blowout occurred on Jan. 13 near Glennifer Lake, about 25 kilometres west of Innisfail.
