How Pennsylvanians Really Feel About Fracking

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Debate moderators, the national press, and even the candidates themselves keep equating Pennsylvania voters with fracking, even as they say the commonwealth could be the electoral linchpin for the White House. But why? Why has fracking become the single issue we’re associated with? Today we’re with friend-of-the-pod Kiley Bense of Inside Climate News to talk about how 13 million Pennsylvanians really feel about natural gas extraction, and what the campaigns should maybe be talking about instead.

Here are some notes and references from today’s show:

• MSNBC’s Chris Hayes talked about fracking with PA Lt. Gov. Austin Davis & former congressman and Republican advisor Charlie Dent, who explain it’s really more of a fear tactic.
• Today’s guest, Kiley Bense, wrote about fracking in context with our local U.S. Senate race between Democratic incumbent Bob Casey and his Republican challenger, Dave McCormick.
• The Ohio River Valley Institute shared a poll in 2021 that indicated more people are worried about the climate impact of fracking. Muhlenberg College also tracks polling pretty closely.
• The NYT published an excellent piece about low natural gas prices and how fracking ebbs and flows with price and demand.
• And check out this Inquirer column, which argues that if the candidates really wanted to woo us, they’d be talking less about fracking and more about the economy and reproductive rights.

Learn more about the sponsor of this September 30th episode:

Pittsburgh Opera

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