Although natural gas—domestically abundant and “clean” burning—has been touted as the answer to America's energy crisis, filmmaker Josh Fox's fascinating, frightening documentary shows just how misleading is that claim. Gasland begins when Fox receives a generous offer to lease his family's Pennsylvania homestead, which sits atop a shale field in the Delaware River basin that contains valuable deposits. Approaching nearby residents who have allowed drilling on their land, however, he finds that they are plagued by problems with their tap water, which is so polluted that it can be set on fire with a lighter as it runs from the faucet. Further investigation indicates that the phenomenon is related to hydraulic fracturing (“fracking” for short), which involves pumping toxic chemicals mixed with large amounts of water into the wells to release the gas. And Fox discovers that in 2005, Congress—prodded by Vice President Dick Cheney, former head of drilling mega-company Halliburton—exempted the process from existing Clean Air and Water Acts regulation. The result, as Fox learns during conversations with environmentalists, scientists, and affected citizens in several states, is that major sources of drinking water are being threatened while the air around the well sites grows polluted. Gasland is seat-of-your pants filmmaking, but Fox's low-key, almost genial approach somehow accentuates the fact that a cruel and dangerous hoax is being perpetrated on a population so hungry for cheap energy that it closes its eyes to the attendant environmental degradation. An Oscar nominee, this is highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)
Gasland
(2010) 106 min. DVD: $29.95. Docurama (avail. from most distributors). ISBN: 1-4229-0288-9. Volume 26, Issue 6
Gasland
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