Lou Allstadt believes that fracking is a bad idea for New York. As a former Mobil Oil Corporation executive, Allstadt did not start out as an anti-fracking activist. However, after his 31-year career with Mobil, he became worried about the loose regulations surrounding high-volume fracking. In his view, regulators at the state Department of Environmental Conservation are so steeped in the industry mindset that they continue to sidestep a host of costly challenges. He is convinced the economic prospects are largely hype and that the state’s environmental regulators are disturbingly unprepared to deal with the side effects of such an invasive industrial activity.

Allstadt graduated from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, training ground for many a ship captain. He later earned an MBA from Columbia University.