Welcome to carbonstories.org. On this site you can learn about Michael Johnson-Chase and follow my blogs. With some exceptions, this site follows "theme based" cycling tours focusing on social and climate related issues. Slowed down observations of the world over days, weeks and months at 10 to 15 miles an hour can reveal a depth and quality of understanding about our environment often missed by faster modes of travel.
Susquehanna County in Pennsylvania lies directly south of Binghamton, NY in the Finger Lakes region. It is in a remote part of the Allegheny Range, and is the second poorest county in Pennsylvania. It is also one of several “ground zero’s” for fracking in Pennsylvania, and the home of Dimock, a town well known among fracking activists because it is prominently featured in Josh Fox’s first movie “Gasland.” The land is beautiful and hardscrabble, with numerous waterways, many wells, many hills and valleys. It’s a lovely place to bike. There are also numerous areas where water has been contaminated by fracked wells or spilled wastewater. With only a few exceptions, gas companies deny responsibility for the increasing incidences of contamination. Here's an interesting fact: since the PA fracking boom started in 2007, almost 8000 wells have been drilled. During that same period over 4000 citations for water contamination have been filed by landowners and are on record with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
