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Fracking: Live chat with EWG & 'Gasland' director Josh Fox
"Everywhere I went, it was the same story: water trouble, health problems, hazardous explosive conditions - inside the house."So says Josh Fox, director of the film Gasland, when he describes his work documenting the natural gas drilling boom over the Marcellus Shale in the eastern United States.
The film, a compelling personal story and excellent assessment of this growing, under-regulated environmental health threat, premiers on HBO Monday, June 21st @ 9 PM (eastern).
Get the official house party guide (scroll down, on the left) and invite a few friends over to get up to speed and learn how to get involved.
Join us on Tuesday, June 22nd @ 2 PM (eastern)
Once you've seen the film, bring your comments and questions to our live chat with EWG fracking expert Dusty Horwitt and documentary filmmaker Josh Fox here on Enviroblog.
Read all about it in EWG's fracking report, Drilling Around the Law.
This looks like a great Doc! I'm glad you're giving the people who live in these areas a voice, and it raises public concern for them as well. Reminds me of that film Erin Brockovich, can't wait to check it out.
-melanie@makingof.com
Doesn't this practice cause small earthquakes?
There's another side to the story. You should check out debunking GasLand here, http://www.energyindepth.org/2010/06/debunking-gasland/
ha! The 'debunking' sponsored by the oil/gas companies.
I saw that one coming..
Great documentary! I wasn't even aware that this was going on and to this extent!
Cant wait to see it. I hope we can make a difference!
I heard the filmaker talk about this on NPR a few days ago...I don't know how much more I can take with all that's going on in the Gulf with the oil spewing, BUT this is very compelling information and I probably will watch.
"De-bunking"?????? yeah, right...more like shilling for the natural gas industry.
Hey Anna Fay,
I definitely understand your skepticism about the source of the "debunking." However, facts are facts and Josh Fox missed many. So, we hope you'll consider skimming through the "debunking" after you watch the film. In openness, I work for CNG Now and we'd love to try to answer any questions/concerns you may have.
Gasland debunked can be found here:
http://www.energyindepth.org/2010/06/debunking-gasland/
For other documentaries on this subject, check out: Gas Odyssey http://www.gasodyssey.com/ and Haynesville http://www.haynesvillemovie.com
Wow! Thank you ewg.org for making me aware of this broadcast. Thank you Josh Fox for making the film. I feel awful for the people who have to suffer from the exposure to chemicals in their drinking water. And I am well aware that could be me. But I feel we're all to blame for the excessive use of energy. We don't need the tv running 5+ hours a day. We don't need the AC running at 65 degrees all summer long, we don't need to hop in the car to run an errand two blocks away. We the "little people" can help make oil and gas such a hot commodity by not using it as if they were an endless resource.
Josh, I am an environmentalist and have been considering making an independent film. I wonder what camera you used, where you got the camera and its cost. Thank you. Susan
So, how much does the American Petroleum Institute pay you?
Pixie Gas supports Gasland 100%.
Just wanted to say THANK YOU to EWG for putting together the chat with Josh. Fracking is such an important issue. Thank you for spreading the word.
The industry spindoctors are at it now ... the PR war is on ... i love the part in the film where the landowners are told that the water is "ok" to dink, but when gas men were asked to take a drink, they refused. The fact is that facts can be tilted one way or another, depending on how much you can spend on a spindoctor ... the industry has billions invested in this and they aren't going down without a fight ...
Josh.........do you know that NW Wisconsin is full of the type of sand required for hydraulic fracturing. NW Wisconsin is in the plan to be taken over by the oil/gas industry and EOG, Resources has already moved into Chippewa Falls, WI. It involves taking hill tops. Our area will be like an Appalacia with hill top removal and quarries of gigantic proportion. Sandstone will be transported for many miles to bring the stuff into the city limits of Chippewa Falls. Many mines will be needed to keep the giant running 24/7.Use of water.......silica dust in the air from the drying process: what more could the company do to increase pollutants and toxins into the air/water. Please HELP us by finding out more.
www.ccc-wis.com
"Split Estate" is another film on this topic, focused on Colorado: http://www.splitestate.com/
ArthurDental, Good question. There has been research into that question, but it's not yet conclusive. Here's a link to one such study in Texas: http://smu.edu/newsinfo/pdf-files/earthquake-study-10march2010.pdf.
Here's a relevant quote from it: "On the basis of time and spatial correlations, we conclude the DFW sequence may be the result of fluid injection at the SWD well, but we are puzzled as to why earthquakes occur at this particular location but not near other SWD wells in the region."
DFW means "Dallas-Fort Worth and "SWD wells" means "salt water disposal wells."
Hope this is helpful. Lisa Frack, EWG