NEW YORK – Yoko Ono and her son, Sean Lennon, on Wednesday launched a coalition of artists, musicians and filmmakers who oppose hydraulic fracturing in New York state.

The formation of the group Artists Against Fracking was announced at a news conference in Manhattan with Ono, Lennon and Mark Ruffalo, who has long been outspoken on the issue. Other celebrities joining the coalition’s cause include Lady Gaga, Paul McCartney and Alec Baldwin.

Additional Photos

Yoko Ono and her son, Sean Lennon, shown Wednesday in New York, call fracking “a danger to New Yorkers.” The Associated Press

Charlie Sheen

Kim Kardashian

The group’s formation comes as Gov. Andrew Cuomo prepares to decide whether to allow shale gas drilling using high-volume hydraulic fracturing — or hydrofracking — after four years of studying its health and environmental impacts. The process uses millions of gallons of chemically treated water to blast open gas-rich shale deposits deep underground.

Ono and Lennon are calling on the governor to ban drilling in New York, which they said can cause oil wells to leak harmful methane into public water supplies. They said their group has requested a meeting with Cuomo to discuss the issue.

In a letter sent to Cuomo on Monday, Ono and Lennon called fracking “a danger to New Yorkers.”

“Inevitably, the process leads to the release of toxic chemicals — many of which are unknown and unreported — into our air and water,” they wrote.

The letter added: “It is a direct public health threat to families and communities.”

Proponents argue that drilling and fracking in the Marcellus Shale formation, which covers large parts of Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio and West Virginia, promises to deliver relatively cheaper natural gas to customers in the energy-hungry Northeast and create hundreds of well-paying jobs in an economically depressed region.

Cuomo is expected to allow drilling to begin on a limited basis near the Pennsylvania state line, though Ono said she is confident the governor and fracking supporters will eventually come around.

“Eventually logic will overcome everything,” she said. “Logic and love.”

The coalition is encouraging the public to pressure lawmakers to take action against fracking. Beyond that, Ono and Lennon told The Associated Press that their next steps largely depended on Cuomo’s actions in the coming weeks.

FX orders 90 more episodes of Sheen’s sitcom

LOS ANGELES – The FX channel says it has ordered 90 more episodes of the Charlie Sheen sitcom “Anger Management.”

The unusually large order reflects the original agreement that FX made for the sitcom, which marked Sheen’s quick return to TV after he was fired from “Two and a Half Men.”

As part of the deal, FX set a ratings target for eight of the first 10 episodes of “Anger Management.” The show reached the threshold, earning an automatic 90-episode order.

FX says “Anger Management” is cable’s highest-rated new comedy series this year, averaging 4.5 million viewers.

Kardashian settles lawsuit over lookalike

LOS ANGELES – Kim Kardashian has settled a lawsuit against Old Navy claiming the clothing retailer violated her publicity rights by using a lookalike in an ad.

Kardashian sued over the spot in July 2011, claiming the company’s use of a model who looked like her might confuse consumers about her actual endorsements, which include a clothing store and shoe line.

No details about the settlement were filed.

“The lawsuit was resolved to the mutual satisfaction of the parties,” said the reality TV starlet’s attorney Gary Hecker.

A spokesperson for Old Navy parent company The Gap Inc. was not available.

The lawsuit was over the commercial “Super C-U-T-E,” which began airing in February 2011 and featured Canadian singer-model Melissa Molinaro.

Kardashian, 31, was seeking unspecified damages and an order barring Old Navy from using a lookalike again.

– From news service reports

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