Fracking

"Fracking" is short for hydraulic fracturing, a means of obtaining natural gas by pumping fluid through explosive-generated cracks in rock. It's good news in that it has dropped the cost of natural gas, so it may reduce the amount of coal we burn and alleviate CO2 emissions. However, some of the fluids used in fracking are known or suspected carcinogens, and the drilling companies are unwilling to discuss the chemicals they use (this secrecy goes back to the energy bill that came out of Dick Cheney's secret energy task force). Even more worrisome in some respects is the intimidation and surveillance by police and private contractors of activists and reporters who ask questions.

See also Energy, as well as Global Warming and Chemicals, as well as Water.

News/Reports

Why Ban Fracking?

PBS Need to Know.

Maryland Students' Water Quality Monitoring Comes In Anticipation Of Gas Drilling. 10/12.

International protests 9/12.

Extreme Energy Means an Extreme Planet (editorial) 10/12.

Sandra Steingraber is internationally recognized authority on the environment links to cancer and human health. Steingraber’s highly acclaimed book, Living Downstream: An Ecologist’s Personal Investigation of Cancer and the Environment presents cancer as a human rights issue.Pledge to Resist Fracking.

New Fracking study on water contamination. 7.12

Fracking has been getting a lot of attention lately, but a long-standing problem has been injection wells. 6.12

Video

PBS NewsHour on health effects 6/12. See also

Groundbreaking filmmaker Josh Fox takes a closer look at natural gas drilling and fracking and their effects on communities in his award-winning documentary Gasland a documentary about drilling for natural gas. official site. After Fox was offered $100,000 to lease his land to a drilling company, he set off on a cross-country journey to investigate the environmental risks of fracking. During his 24-state trek, he uncovers alarming facts about the natural gas industry, health problems as a result from this contamination and (not surprisingly) loopholes in federal environmental regulation. HBO trailer

New short film on fracking by Gasland director. 7.12 He was arrested by capitol police for filming a public meeting. Actor Mark Ruffalo has been supporting the issue, Pete Seeger too.

60 Minutes segment on Fracking, injecting chemicals under high pressure to extract natural gas. 11/10.

T Boone Pickens TEDtalk on energy policy 3/12.

Vanity Fair article and video on water affected.

Natural gas' (mostly methane) role in Gulf oil spill. from Mojo

Drilling Down on Fracking loe.org 7/10