On December 12th, dozens of protesters rallied outside a federal auction in Sacramento against plans to lease more than 17,000 acres of California public land to oil companies for drilling and fracking. Demonstrators fear that opening up thousands of acres of public land to oil and gas exploration would directly undercut the state's commitment to clean and renewable energy and endanger an already threatened water supply. Land spanning Monterey, San Benito and Fresno counties lies on what is known as the Monterey Shale, a formation of underground minerals. Oil and gas companies are targeting this expanse for their use.

Fracking, a popular shortened name for hydraulic fracturing, is a highly polluting form of oil and gas extraction. Environmentalists are acting across the country to stop the sale and lease of land, including federally owned land, to prevent irreparable harm to air, water and climate. On a national day of action in September, dozens of protests from coast to coast raised community awareness. In Palo Alto, demonstrators handed out fliers and led an anti-fracking sing-along in the city's downtown plaza.

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Fracking California: The State's Best Kept Secret