Hugh MacMillian
Hugh MacMillian has been a senior researcher on water, energy and climate issues at Food and Water Watch since 2011 with a current concentration on fracking in the United States. MacMillian is important to the ant-fracking movement because he curates the government and corporate documents related to fracking. Lobbyists use this information to present anti-fracking arguments to politicians and the general public. Previously, MacMillian was a legislative fellow and science advisor in the U.S. Senate and an assistant professor in the Department of Mathematical Sciences at Clemson University. He received his Ph.D. in applied mathematics from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Hugh MacMillian can be reached at hmacmillan@fwwatch.org.
Yoko Ono - Artists Against Fracking
Artists Against Fracking is an anti-fracking coalition with nearly 200 famous members. Yoko Ono and Sean Lennon founded this organization in 2012 to ban fracking in the state of New York. Using their celebrity status, they were able to push the issues of fracking into mainstream media and help successfully convince Governor Cuomo to ban fracking in New York. It is important to look at Artists Against Fracking when talking about advocacy because they are a perfect case study on how celebrities can enact governmental change. Using some of their tactics, such as creating videos with famous actors or holding press conferences, can assist other groups in banning fracking in their own towns. While you cannot contact Yoko Ono directly, you can reach the Facebook managers of Artists Against Fracking at https://www.facebook.com/ArtistsAgainstFracking/
Josh Fox
Josh Fox is a writer, director, producer, and activist best known for his documentaries Gasland and Gasland II. Fox is important to the anti-fracking movement because he achieved great success in educating the dangers of fracking to the public through his films. Fox created Gasland because fracking was occurring in his town and he wanted to know if there would be negative repercussions for him or his neighbors. Using his personal experience as well as investigating reporting, Fox was able to expose many issues that the public was previously unaware of. To this day, Fox is a major anti-fracking activist and continues to fight against fracking through film. To get in touch Josh Fox and others involved in the creation of these films visit http://www.gaslandthemovie.com/contact.
Julie Ann Edgar
Julie Ann Edgar is the current organizer of Lehigh Valley Gas Truth, a 200-member grassroots organization in the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania. After watching Josh Fox’s Gasland, Edgar became inspired to work toward having safe and accessible renewable energy sources. Edgar has completed over 5,000 volunteer hours throughout the country and is an expert on the complexities of fracking. She also works with Berks Gas Truth and the Safe Water Society. You can contact Julie Ann Edgar at julie@safewatersociety.org or 484-557-4182.
New Yorkers Against Fracking
New Yorkers Against Fracking is a coalition of all organizations, groups, businesses, and institutions that support a ban on fracking in New York. New Yorkers Against Fracking is important because they were one of the key players that worked to ban fracking in the state of New York. Unlike Artists Against Fracking, those who make up this group are regular concerned citizens. They all joined together in 2012 to fight against fracking due to its health risks. Even though fracking has been banned New York, New Yorkers Against Fracking still participates in the anti-fracking movement by being very active on social media. You can contact New Yorkers Against Fracking at organizers@nyagainstfracking.org