Hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”), a method of accessing natural gas, is viewed by many as a way to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil, stimulate the U.S. economy, and address climate change. However, opponents of fracking argue that it is linked to health problems because it releases specific toxins that contaminate the air and ground water. In this essay, I offer a focused analysis of twenty qualitative interviews with women who live in Pennsylvania near fracking sites. The findings indicate that exposure to fracking has negative impacts on women's health by increasing their exposure to contaminated water and provokes gendered attacks on activism.
Perhaps no other medical advocacy movement has been as successful as breast cancer advocacy in increasing awareness and funds. Recent decades have seen a division between a “green” environmental advocacy aimed at prevention and a “pink” advocacy focused on fund-raising for a cure. The movement has largely failed to address the implications of corporate control over genetic testing, as reflected by the involvement of only one breast cancer organization in the lawsuit against Myriad Genetics Laboratory, which held patents on the BRCA 1/2 genes. This article argues that the reason for this failure is an unwillingness to challenge the role that corporations play in advocacy.
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