Fracking

By Heather Mattsongrosso

Fracking. What exactly is fracking? By definition hydraulic fracturing or fracking is the process of drilling and injecting fluid into the ground at high pressure in order to fracture shale rocks to release natural gas.  Now to me, fracking by its definition seems like an awesome concept, releasing "natural" gas since everything "natural" has to be good for the environment, obvioulsy. Unfortunately this is not the case however, since these fluids being pumped into the Earth are jam packed with chemicals, toxins, and carcinigens that have negative effects on everything in their sight.  The dangers of fracking is a huge controversial concept, which is why there are so many activists who strongly vote against the process due to the harm that is presents.
The Fracking of Rachel Carson by Sandra Steingraber, was a piece that I believe was written in a very interesting way.  The style of this piece was a chronological listing of events from numbers one to fifty, relating to Rachel Carson's life and efforts to put an end to franking.  At the beginning of the piece, it seemed as if it was going to be a biographical timeline of Rachel Carson's life, focusing on her health during her years of battling cancer, while trying to juggle being in the constant public eye.  "Carson's private writings reveal how much physical anguish she endured.  Bone metastases. Radiation burns. Angina. Knowing this you can imagine her patience running out during the interminable photo shoots." Following reading this comment on Rachel's physical and mental state regarding her cancer, the reader may have thought that this piece was going to continue as a complete tribute to the Silent Spring author.  Further down Steingraber's list however, a smooth transition was made changing the focus from Carson's life to the drilling for profitable gasses, known as fracking.  This transition was made after Steingraber described one of Carson's most beloved places, Hawk Mountain, which stretched along the Appalachian flyway.  Along the Appalachia laid solidified silt, also known as Marcellus Shale which Steingraber simply called "the earth."  Steingraber describes the Marcellus Shale, according to the mining industry however as an "overburden" or "the material that lies between the surface and an area of economic interest."  I thought that this was a great way to shine light on the fact that these mining industries pay no mind to the beautiful simplicity of this sedimentary rock, but only see it as a profitable well of natural gas that they love getting their hands on and drilling into.

Steingraber is also the author of Raising Elija: Protecting Our Children in an Age of Environmental Crisis.  In her environmental parenting book, Steingraber dedicates an entire chapter to the definition and dangers of fracking.  In beginning the topic of fracking, Steingraber focuses the attention to her shale sidewalk.  Focusing on the sidewalk that almost everyone takes for granted, she reflects that the slab of slate under her feet has millenniums of history behind it, marking it as ancient sea floor that her children now use for hopscotch.  She elaborates on how this simple slate in which we use for our daily activities is taken for granted, although historically it has seen more than we could ever imagine.  "Connecting my front door to Main Street, three blocks away, this crooked sidewalk deserves the credit, I suddenly realized, for so much more than service as an art easel and a hopscotch court.  It has played a key role in many of my parenting success heretofore."  Saying something as simple as the sidewalk has played a "keel role" in her parenting as well as her life may seem ridiculous to some, but  it helps the reader come down to a less complicated mind set.  This writing style of connecting such a simple thing like a sidewalk to a bigger picture of life creates a sort of sentiment towards it, letting the reader become truly connected to it. 

After a full set of examples and reasons why the simple slate sidewalk plays such a big role in our every day lives, Steingraber continues to explain what lies beneath our beloved sidewalks, Marcellus Shale, which she describes as being the basement foundation of New York State.  Like I said before, this rock is not just a rock but basically a tap full of profitable gases.  "The Marcellus Shale holds the largest natural gas deposit in the United States…this subterranean landscape has become ground zero for a form of energy extraction called high-volume slickwater hydraulic fracturing."  This is why oil companies live to frack, and here comes the drilling…but with drilling for this money making natural gas comes negative side effects which Steingraber lists off as well.  I believe that Steingraber's book could captivate many people and make them listen, simply because she comes down to the level of compassion for her family.  In her book, she ultimately is trying to keep her children safe during this time of environmental hardships, pointing out harmful systems practiced on our earth.  

To expand on the harm that is brought by fracking, brings us to Josh Fox's documentary, Gasland.  The film starts off with the documentary-filmmaker going door to door and interviewing families in the town of Dimock, Pennsylvania.  Here is where the company Cabot Oil and Gas had been drilling wells to get to those precious gases underneath the Earth's surface.  Fox used what seemed to be his own camera and the recordings seemed to look like he just wanted footage and did not care about the quality. I felt that starting his film off this way set the mood for the entire film.  Using his own camera, his own voice, and creating a seemingly low-budget film let it be known that rather than creating a major motion picture expecting a huge profit, Fox just wanted to get the raw footage and information out and exposed.  I personally like this approach to documentary filmmaking because it just goes to show that you don't need flashing lights and makeup artists to create a moving film.

The protest film Dear Governor Cuomo took a different approach towards revealing the risks of hydraulic fracking.  The film featured several famous actors, actresses,musicians, and scientists, as well as countless anti-fracking activists.  It was based around an event taking place in Albany where activists gathered around music, readings, and performances in efforts to prevent Governor Cuomo from allowing fracking in New York State.  The event not only created a sense of comrodery and uniformity among protesters but it was a peaceful plea for Governor Cuomo's help in banning fracking.  I felt that this film was made very well and it was simply enjoyable to watch because it wasn't just a lesson on the dangers of franking, it was also an entertaining film with music and poetry that was informative to the viewer.

In a recent article, Cuomo's fracking ban has some New York towns contemplating secession, Caitlin Dickinson explains how although many New Yorkers as well as the Governor support the ban of fracking in the Empire State, there are people who disagree with this decision.  This group, known as the "Southern-tier"  believes that if the natural gas is there, and can make money, why not utilize it? "…the ban was seen not as a cause for celebration but rather as the final straw, dashing hopes that the rural region's resource-rich land might be the golden ticket to a revitalized economy."  In efforts to revolt against this decision those opposed to the ban wish to secede to Pennsylvania where fracking is legal, because they feel that it will bring in more profits.  According to the article, Republican supervisor of a small upstate New York town advocates the secession.  He supports this notion simply because of the unemployment and lack of income in his town of Conklin.  Finch states, "The Southern-tier is desolate.  We have no jobs and no income.  The richest resource we have is in the ground."  I could see how this could be a controversial issue because it is a decision between protecting the Earth and protecting the livelihood of the people who inhabit it.