When New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced he was taking steps to ban hydraulic fracturing in the state, he was strongly influenced by the statement of Howard Zucker, acting state health commissioner: Dr. Zucker said his review boiled down to a simple question: Would he want his family to live in a community where fracking was taking place? His answer was no. “We cannot afford to make a mistake,” he said. “The potential risks are too great. In fact, they are not even fully known.” It turns out that Zucker has no children, no family to protect. Kenneth Lovett of the New York Daily News:  In recommending a ban on fracking in New York, acting state Health Commissioner Howard Zucker said he wouldn't want his kids growing up near a drilling site. But Zucker doesn’t have kids, state officials confirmed Thursday. Zucker made his comments during a Cabinet meeting Wednesday as he announced his long-awaited decision on whether...(Read Full Post)