Rex Tillerson and his wife, Renda, of Bartonville joined suit with neighbors to demand the demolition of a 160-foot water tower near their North Texas ranch. The plaintiffs claim the tower is illegal and unsightly, and they oppose Cross Timbers Water Supply Corp’s plan to sell “water to oil and gas explorers for fracking,” arguing the tower compromises their right to live in an “upscale community free of . . . structures that might . . . adversely impact the rural lifestyle they sought to enjoy.” Rex and Renda have joined a growing movement of families, across all walks of life, who are fighting back against corporate intrusions into their back-to-the-land dreams. Indeed, their concerns about “big water” echo those expressed last month by Dune Lankard on the 25th anniversary of the Exxon Valdez fiasco: “It was more than just an oil spill,” Lankard, a member of the Eyak Alaska Eagle clan, told NPR. “We had an Alaskan dream, and that dream was intact for several thousands of years. And our relationship was with that land and sea and all of those animals . . . And so when that was disrupted, that fabric of our way of life and our Alaskan dream was also stolen from us.”

In other news:

• FoxBusiness reported last week that Exxon CEO Rex Tillerson’s 2013 compensation fell to $28.1 million.

• The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the Tillersons have dropped out of the lawsuit.

• Exxon has pledged to report in September on the environmental impact of fracking.

• Tomorrow is Earth Day.

Note: I have a memory of a variation on the headline from 50 years ago, but extensive research (i.e. googling) produced no source to credit.