Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed in this opinion do not reflect those of the Norwood News. 

BY DIANA PEDI 

Almost two years ago, Hurricane Sandy wreaked havoc across New York, leaving tens of thousands of us here in the Bronx without power or water. Local families and businesses were devastated.  But we persevered, joining with our neighbors to help clean up and recover, and the Bronx is back better than ever.

But we need to do everything we can to make sure it doesn’t happen again.  There’s an overwhelming body of evidence that links climate change with the prevalence of deadly hurricanes and super storms across the US and in New York.

Just as we did during Sandy, Bronx residents came together again. This time, we united with over 400,000 people who traveled from across the United States to participate in the People’s Climate March. The March coincided with this year’s Climate Summit at the United Nations, and the hundreds of thousands of people who participated demanded that national and world leaders commit to combating climate change.

For New Yorkers, an important step is demanding that Governor Cuomo implement a statewide ban on fracking before the oil and gas industry can bring this dangerous practice to our state.

The science that links fracking to climate change is in. Fracking releases methane.  While carbon dioxide receives a lion’s share of the attention, methane is actually much more potent in the short- and medium-term.  Recently researchers at Harvard University found that the EPA had greatly underestimated the amount of methane released during the fracking process. The real figures were up to a thousand times greater than the EPA’s estimates.

Fracking has also been shown to contaminate drinking water and cause numerous health problems.  If Governor Cuomo bans fracking, he won’t only take his place as a leader in combatting climate change, he will also protect our health and safety.

Bronx residents, New Yorkers and millions of voters across the United States are looking for real leaders – elected officials who are willing to confront oil and gas industry bullies and stand up for their constituents’ safety. By banning fracking in New York, Governor Cuomo can become that leader and make himself and New York examples for other nations to follow. We can be a model for other world leaders looking to take on climate change, invest in renewable energies, and make our dependence on dangerous natural gas and other fossil fuels a thing of the past.

New York can’t afford to suffer through another Hurricane Sandy. As bad as it was, those of us living in the Bronx know that our borough was spared some of the worst of the damage. In the coming years, we might not be as lucky. Governor Cuomo should commit to protecting our families and our futures and enact a statewide ban on fracking.

Diana Pedi is a Pelham Bay, Bronx resident and a Board Representative for NYPIRG at Queens College.