Citizen Journalism Uncovers Toxic Fracking Process

I wrote a poem on the environment tonight and just felt inspired to explore environmental destruction, my thread lead me to the issue of Fracking. I recall in the last week a person handing out fliers to a film on the subject. I then recalled when I was travelling around Australia, a person at a caravan park was speaking to me about Fracking (hydraulic fracturing) indicating it was problematic. I’d never heard of it before. My stepfather spoke to me on the phone and said it was an environmental problem. He explained that gas companies could come onto people’s land and extract gas by setting up wells then blasting through rock to release the gas.

The documentary on Fracking below is produced by a young man who was approached by a Gas company to allow a mining lease to extract gas. Early in the documentary he speaks of the 2005 Energy Bill pushed through Congress by Dick Cheney which exempts the oil and natural gas industries from the Safe Drinking Water Act, Clean Air Act and other regulations. Soon as I heard that I was alarmed, why would you want to exempt safe drinking water from an act and clean air. That is the global commons and public health, how can that be legislated away. He went onto explain after the passing of the 2005 bill oil and natural gas companies started using the Halliburton technology (fracking) and thus began the largest domestic gas drilling campaign in US history, occupying 34 States.

The method of gas drilling is called Hydraulic Fracturing or Fracking it blasts a mix of water and chemicals 8,000 feet into the ground, it is like a mini earthquake the intense pressure breaks rocks and frees gas. You need fracking chemicals a mix of 596 chemicals. He pointed out that for each well drilled the companies needed between 1 million and 7 million gallons of water. When they go back to a frack well they need an additional 1 million to 7 million gallons of water. They can frack a well up to 18 times he stated.

The documentary maker considered himself a positive person believing in the good of others. His questions lead to concern which took him on a journey of inquiry to find that fracking chemically affected water (undrinkable), gas was coming out of water taps (burst in to flames with a lighter), animals were losing hair, human health effects such as headaches, no sense of smell, brain damage, pain etc. Many people complained that inquiries were met with no response or responses that deflected responsibility from the gas and oil companies or denied the problem. People discuss their dismay, shock and cynicism that the gas commmision they felt was not working for the people. One member of the public asked the US Oil and Gas Conservation Commission ‘who is there to work for the people’, and he told her ‘nobody call an attorney’.

There is a segment in the film focussing on Fort Worth Texas where there are 10,000 wells around the city. It was stated that the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality had no idea of how many wells were there. The Environmental Defence Fund decided to collect statistics on oil and gas emissions, as State statistics were underestimated.  The latest inventories revealed that emissions for all cars and trucks were 200 tonnes per day and take a look at emissions inventory for the wells were 200 tonnes per day. They discovered gas coming off the condensate tanks using infra-red they realised it was hydrocarbons.

The Department of Environmental Protection Pennsylvania representative had said there is a clear opportunity in Pennsylvania amazing opportunity for major new gas production. The journalist indicated that he said he is doing it in a way that doesn’t damage the environment but also that water contamination is inevitable. The journalist points out the contradiction. He said there is no perfect source for energy (is that true?). The representative alluded to the real world and the need to make decisions as trade-offs as 2 steps forward and 1 step back. He asks how do you replace water with cysterns, how do you replace a stream? The representative states he wants the public to let them know about problems. He didn’t answer the question about the wild river. Turns out the DEP budget two months was cut by 25% (350 full time positions). In the midst of the largest natural gas drilling campaign in Pennsylvania history he stated. He asks how much water could you replace?

The story depicts the inconsistency of representative democracy (visible, accountable) and special interests aligned or embedded with government interests (increasing GNP). Interestingly, private industry is non response to public questions as it is not beholden to represent the public. If government supports or is co-opted by industries, it becomes difficult for person’s affected to seek answers, redress and compensation.

What was refreshing to see was people encouraging each other to be positive and coming together. I think this is a good sign of people waking up and taking responsibility in for what is happening to their world. Their power is in to come together in community.

When education is linked to values and a sense of community responsibility coupled with a broad education so people have a rounded knowledge of engineering, philosophy, psychology and social responsibility.  To help people to see they are accountable for their actions when living in community.  The real questions are ethical particularly when toxic effects are known and activities continued.  It raises questions about corporate social responsibility to not be ‘seen to be’ but to actually care about impacts on other human beings.  If there is no emotional response problems have been intellectualised and compartmentalised as ‘not our problem’.   Thus people are in their heads not their hearts.  The latter reflects emotional intelligence which leads us naturally to unity and our common humanity.  Management is often depicted as strong and silent operating by rules, in the future it will be principled leadership whereby we all work for the community. Why do it? for the love of our natural world (stewardship) and community (citizenship).

Free Energy 8 – Gasland (Natural Gas Environmental Destruction) documentary is on Youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hab1WASRnsA the end of the documentary shows a Congress Sub-Committee inquiry questioning the risk of fracking to the safety of drinking water.