Of Fracking and Bullfighting

Is this Colombian animals' biggest problem? A Colombian bullfighter at work
this February in Bogotá's Santamaria Plaza.

Recently, there's been lots of critism to two activites in Colombia: fracking and bullfighting.

Fracking

Both are questionable for different reasons. Fracking, which releases hydrocarbons by fracturing underground rock formations, can pollute water resources and cause minor earthquakes, according to critics.

And bullfighting seems like a holdover from the Dark Ages, which should have died out along with
witch burning and gladiator battles. Bullfighting is also cruel. And, making entertainmet out of killing an animal can only bring out the worst in spectators.

Nothing else to protest? Marching against
bullfighting in downtown Bogotá.

In recent months, fracking's opponents have lobbied, filed lawsuits and written opinion pieces calling for the procedure to be banned in Colombia.

And bullfighting's opponents have for years battled - futilely - in the streets, courtrooms and Congress to have the practice prohibited.

But fracking and bullfighting are only tips of the iceberg of the larger phenomena of the fossil fuel industry and animal mistreatment. Yes, fracking causes environmental damage, but so do the conventional oil and coal industries: they trigger deforestation, drive climate change, pollute the seas and poison the air when burnt. The oil shipping industry, like all shipping, damages marine life with noise, by transporting exotic animals and by collisions with marine mammals. In short, the fossil fuel industry's impacts are innumerable, and fracking is just a tiny part of that.

Is it fracking, or just oil? A  seabird dirtied by
spilled oil doesn't care where that oil came from.

And if bullfighting is cruel, practices such as cockfighting and factory farming are much crueler and affect many more animals.

But fracking, like GMOs, gets attacked because it seems new, strange and sinister.

And bullfighting represents many things despised by its leftist opponents: the wealthy, Mayor Peñalosa and the traditional landowning class.

And while both fracking and bullfighting are very questionable activities, the danger is that by obsessing with these two narrow issues, activists ignore the wider problems. And, if they actually win these two battles, they may feel that the larger battle is won and they can cease fighting.

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours

Colombia Fracked?

U.K. activists protest against fracking.
(Photo: Popular Resistance)

Colombia will proceed with the controversial petroleum and natural gas production method called hydraulic fracturing or fracking.

There are lots of worries about fracking, including consumption of water, triggering of earthquakes and possible pollution of groundwater. But Colombia seems determined to ignore those concerns in its eagerness to pump up its fossil fuel production. And the announcement about fracking comes at a particularly sensitive time, as several regions of Colombia suffer a severe drought. A single fracked well consumes millions of U.S. gallons of water, which is forever lost to the water cycle.

But, like so many things, fracking's biggest harms come from very obvious causes which aren't hidden.

Fracking will deepen Colombia's dependence on raw material exports, which have produced economic growth, but few jobs and lots of environmental damage. Fracking will also make Colombia an even bigger contributor to global warming.

And the announcement comes just in time for the annual March Against Climate Change, to be held Sept. 21 in Bogotá in the Parque Nacional.

Sadly, like so many decisions here, I heard of no public hearings or other opportunities for public input on this one. Most likely, in the best style of Dick Cheney, they consulted only with the hydrocarbon producers.

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours