Thursday, October 28, 2010

Review: Award-winning documentary Gasland presents cautionary tale in regards hydraulic fracture wells in North Louisiana

Gasland is a Michael Moore-sort of documentary on the toxicity associated with hydraulic fracture wells - the sort of wells being drilled all around this region.

Filmmaker Josh Fox uses a folksy approach to his exploration of the disasters that can envelope people living close to "frack" wells. It is apparent that he has a cautionary tale with relevance for North Louisiana and for the entire nation.

Natural gas producers are evidently exempt from the protections given the US environment in the Clean Water Act. That's good for the profitability of the natural gas producers. And good for the arts, since those companies seem to be careful to write checks supporting arts organizations.

In the longer run, however, America runs a venereal risk in romancing the producing companies. Assuming that all the gas companies are run by good guys who will carefully protect water supplies is cretinous, says Fox.

He explains the why and how of the numerous poisons used in the drilling process. He shows viewers states in which drilling was helter skelter. Crass men running companies not guided by regulatory legislation or threatened by effective fines can make a scabrous mess.

Fracking with little oversight, says Fox, will bring us large checks - and perhaps earn us the curses of our children and grandchildren.

See more specific warnings at Gaslandthemovie.com and at LEAN, the Louisiana Environmental Action Network.

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