Reflections on GasLand Documentary
Last night I saw a “sneak peek” of the movie GassLand, a documentary film that explores the nature of Natural Gas Drilling. The director of the film, Josh Fox, stopped in Williamsport on his mini tour which is intended to promote the film and increase awareness of how Natural Gas drilling is done and how it can go wrong.
From the film’s website:
When filmmaker Josh Fox discovers that Natural Gas drilling is coming to his area—the Catskillls/Poconos region of Upstate New York and Pennsylvania, he sets off on a 24 state journey to uncover the deep consequences of the United States’ natural gas drilling boom. What he uncovers is truly shocking—water that can be lit on fire right out of the sink, chronically ill residents of drilling areas from disparate locations in the US all with the same mysterious symptoms, huge pools of toxic waste that kill cattle and vegetation well blowouts and huge gas explosions consistently covered up by state and federal regulatory agencies. These are just a few of the many absurd and astonishing revelations of a new country called GASLAND.
Our region of Pennsylvania sits on a tremendous deposit of Natural Gas in what is called the Marcel Shale. Some have called it the Saudi Arabia of Natural Gas. Needless to say, it’s become quite an issue here.
Here is the situation as I see it. The Gas companies are already here, exploring and drilling. People are excited that our area could see an economic boom, jobs would be created and plus we need Gas (heck we use Gas to heat our home). There are no perfect energy sources right? Mistakes will be made. What can we do? Besides it’s all about money, right? There is just too much to turn away.
The flip side is what Fox talks about in his film. All it takes is one mistake and our water supply is ruined, our animals are dead and our environment, our home is destroyed. Is it worth it? Just look at the devastation that one “accident” can do.
One scene in the film stuck out to me. Fox is interviewing a representative from the Pennsylvania DEP in Harrisburg. The guy says that it’s nice being on the other side of the camera (referring to Fox)–at the end of the day he can wash his hands of the issues. The DEP person goes on to say that he’s stuck making decissions. He has to work with people and make real life decisions. I think the guy is absolutely right. In real life that’s what we have to do, we have to work with people and we have to love people.
Upon reflecting on all of this, especially the recent spill in the Gulf, the reality is that in one sense it is BP’s responsibility–the owners of the rig. But in a much larger sense it is all of our responsibility. That is essentially the conclusion Fox’s film comes to. It’s up to all of us to take responsibility and take action in protecting our home to make sure drilling is done responsibly. I think the only appropriate response to this issue is the very Christian response of humility, confession and repentance–keeping in mind that repentance means ‘to change one’s mind” about something.
Poster by Lonnie Wilcox
We have friends in Western PA, Corry to be exact, that do not have potable drinking water on their property due to methane incursion into the ground water. In fact, you can fill a plastic soda bottle with tap water, shake it and then light it. When you shower you smell like crude oil. They have to use bottled water for all drinking/cooking needs. I'm all for N.G. exploration and drilling but we need to keep this from happening here as well.
How can we be sure that the drilling is being done properly. Should it be like a road bridge - as I understand it - there are inspectors present constantly attempting to assure that everything is done up to specs?
You're right Aaron, I wonder how we can be sure too. By the time we know for sure if they're drilling responsibly it may be too late...You can't drink money.