Gasland
Health and environmental concerns are becoming significant issues for the 21stcentury. Nations are currently, experiencing adverse environmental effects of pollution and climatic changes that result in extreme weather. Pollution and global warming are the two major causes of these problems. Currently, there are concerns about most commercial activities that negatively affect our environment. However, lot of emphasis has only been laid on industrial manufacturing activities with least regard being directed to environmentally harmful practices of mining, which are actually widespread in the United States, especially as companies gas and oil companies increase their prospecting activities.
This grim reality is what Josh Fox presents in the documentary titled “Gasland.” The 2010 production takes the viewers through challenging environmental issues which populations in gas drilling localities face (Top Documentary Films, 2011). Gasland shows how the “fracking’ the drilling technology developed by Halliburton has enabled the gas boom to sweep across the nation (Breslow, 2011). Josh Fox would have been one among the victims swept by the wave had he not listened to his intuition to sought the truth first. In his journey through the documentary we get to learn how, the $100000 dollars for to him as a lease fee for drilling on his property would have been costly (Fox, 2010).
It is a pity when I consider how much little Americans are offered in return for the offer of their lands and environment. The drilling corporations go a head and reap plenty, but leave behind death among the people. The resultant damage that is finally left behind after the hydraulic drilling is nothing less of “rape” to the environment at measly compensation that cannot even pay for the health damage that results from waste left behind after drilling. The sight of a flaming tap in the kitchen is indeed a threat to life and property. I was shocked to realize that gas leaks from such sources may end up in drinking and both surface and underground water sources, and this left wondering whether it would become necessary for us to check gas leaks not only on our cooking systems, but our water taps too.
Interviewed experts of the industry within the documentary were quickly to offer alternative explanations for the gas leaks on water taps, associating them with from peat and coal within some water well. But, interestingly none of them offered an assurance that such an occurrence cannot occur due leakages from ‘fracking.’ They can defend all they can but am sure every American that watches the movie and really loves the life s/he lives and that of their family, will want nothing to do with the $100000 buy out for leases on land provided for drilling (Breslow, 2011).
The dangers posed by this form of drilling are numerous. They include leakage of gas and the contamination of underground and surface water bodies. The chemicals used in drilling are hazardous to health and they may cause various serious health conditions such as cancer if they get into drinking water sources (Hyne, 1991). The gas leaks that migrate from the depths of the earth during drilling also lower the quality of air and pose a health challenge to people in such localities. There is also potential mishandling of waste from the drilling processes which may lead to contamination of the environment and result to the death of both human and plant life (Hyne, 1991).
In conclusion, the possible resultant cost associated with necessary environmental clean up and loss of the value of fixed assets such as land and the degradation of the environment are not actually commensurate to the damage caused on the environment. Despite the legislations made, the environment is still undergoing great damage and it is necessary for affirmative action to be taken on the legislative front as well as among the populace in resisting such wanton damage of the environment for the sake of satisfying a few investors at the expense of the natural well-being of the people.
References
Breslow, S. (2011),. Gasland-Review and call for action, retrieved on 2nd May 2011 from http://www.examiner.com/movie-locations-travel-in-new-york/gasland-movie-review-and-call-to-action
Fox, J. (Director, Writer and Producer) (2010),. Gasland: Independent Pictures
Hyne, J. N. (1991),. Dictionary of petroleum exploration, drilling and production: Penn Well Books
Top Documentary Films (2011),. Gasland, retrieved on 2nd May 2011 from http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/gasland/
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