New York has become the first U.S. state to impose a partial moratorium on the natural gas drilling process known as hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking.” Outgoing Governor David Paterson has issued an executive order barring fracking until next July. A grassroots campaign pushed for a moratorium over concerns drilling could contaminate the water supplies of New York City and other areas. But Paterson’s order only applies to horizontal wells, not vertical wells, which have been linked to contamination in Pennsylvania and are still undergoing environmental review. On Monday, opponents of hydraulic fracking held a rally outside the New York State Senate in Albany. The actor and director Mark Ruffalo celebrated the moratorium but urged anti-drilling activists to continue their struggle.

Mark Ruffalo: “We are the first state in the nation, the first nation in the world, to stand up against the dangers of hydro-fracking. And I think it’s very important that you people understand that you did this, the system does work. Millions of dollars came in against us and the hard work that we’ve been doing, and we still beat it. OK? I don’t care how anyone characterizes this, we won. But it’s the first game in the playoffs, alright? And we still got plenty of games ahead of us.”