This film could be titled "The Longer we Live the Less We Know" or "We Are a People Destined to Repeat the Same Mistakes Over and Over Again". This is a documentary in the Michael Moore style--a 'look how terrible these guys are' story. So you have to take what he says with a grian of salt.
Indisputable facts are that large swaths of the country have deposits of natural gas under them. The process for extracting that gas, called 'fracking', requires that large volumes of water laced with chemicals--some disclosed, some not disclosed--are pumped under the ground and there are three resultant problems. One is that there are no regulations on disposal of the waste water. Second is that there is no due diligence on how contained the natural gas is when 'fracked'--does it go obediently into the hole drilled, or are there some rogue eruptions that occur? And third is that when harm occurs, the driler is innocent until proven guilty, rather than being held to safety standards whereby they would be required to establish and maintain safety in thier operation. The access to this sort of drilling was established during the Bush-Cheney years, and so they excluded the drillers from requirements of the Clean Water and the Clean Air acts, which makes wrongdoing more appealing, or at least less penalized. And so there is a perfect storm.
Water is our most precious resource--more so than energy. Sadly, we undervalue it, don't protect it adequately, and it is certainly non-profit. This film depicts the consequences of those priorities. Nominated as 'Best Documentary' for this year's Academy Awards, it is well worth watching.
Wonderful presentation of a horrible process. Everyone should watch and learn. Having lived in Sublette County, Wyoming, I understand the devastating effects. Please watch and become involved.
ReplyDeleteI hope that the film's nomination for an Academy Award will give it a larger and broader audience than would otherwise have seen the film.
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