Gasland: A must see documentary

A review of Gasland written and directed by Josh Fox
Rating *****

Remember a while back how outraged we all were over the BP oil spill in the Gulf? What if I were to tell you that there is a much more damaging environmental catastrophe occurring right now in the U.S. that dwarfs the BP accident. If you don’t believe me, then I encourage you to watch this film. The environmental damage uncovered in this film from a process known as hydraulic fracturing is thousands of times worse than the BP accident. So what is the government doing about it? Well thanks to the efforts of former president George Bush and former vice president Dick Cheney, absolutely nothing. You see Dick Cheney used to be the CEO of a company called Halliburton. And when he got into a position where he could help his former company, he did just that by creating a loophole (known as the Halliburton loophole) that allows oil and gas companies the right to do hydraulic fracturing without EPA oversight.

This isn’t the first time George Bush and Dick Cheney have found themselves mentioned on this blog. And it’s not because I have anything nice to say. I’m probably on some FBI watch list by now. But the truth is they deserve all the criticism that continues to come their way as more and more of their missteps come to light.

But you don’t have to listen to my stance on politics, there is plenty to say on the subject in this film. It’s been a full day since I watched the film and I still can’t get over the fact that our government drafted a bill that allows this type of environmental damage to go unchecked and unregulated. And the tea party nuts are wanting even less government intervention. They should watch this film.

I first learned about the drilling process called hydraulic fracturing from a special from one of the major networks. I seem to remember Diane Sawyer being involved, but I’m not certain. What I remember about the special was an interview with an industry spokesman. He explained that there simply was no possible way that what they are doing can damage the environment. He told the reporter that the drilling they do takes place 8,000 feet or more below the surface and that water tables only reach an average depth of less than a thousand feet. When the reporter challenged him on some of his facts, he seemed to back off. If you really want to know if this process has a negative environmental impact, just watch this film.

It’s not often that a single person can have a significant impact when it comes to major policy changes, but the writer and director of this film, Josh Fox, shows exactly how much of an impact one person can have. If you live in an area where hydraulic fracturing is already taking place, arrange for a screening of this film. If you live in an area where the oil and gas companies are proposing to begin hydraulic fracturing, screen this film. If you live in Fort worth, Texas or anywhere in Louisiana, I would be looking at moving elsewhere because it’s already too late for you folks.

This film didn’t have a twenty million dollar budget like the Oscar-winning documentary the Inside Job. Josh is no Matt Damon. His delivery doesn’t match the passion of the film. But that is my only negative comment. He’s just one person out to tell a story that impacts all of us. What if you don’t live in an area where this drilling is taking place? Does this impact you? The answer is yes. The reason why is because the contaminants from this process reach us in different ways from the livestock who are forced to drink contaminated water to the damaging effects to the atmosphere in ozone depletion and acid rain.

Bottom line – WATCH THIS FILM!