Gasland and Natural gas

The documentary Gasland informs viewers of the dangers that are involved with the drilling and extraction of natural gas in the United States. Josh Fox the director of the film travels across the country going listening to peoples stories about how the drilling of natural gas has somehow negatively affected their health or the environment surrounding their home. Throughout the film you hear stories of families becoming ill after gas companies started drilling near their homes. There is footage of a families live stock losing its fur and not eating the food that is presented to it. Families in several locations were letting the fauset run and then lighting the water on fire because it was so contaminated with natural gas along with all of the deadly chemicals that are used to extract the gas from the deposits. Throughout the film Fox talks to scientists, families, as well as to gas company managers who often rejected having any type of interview with him.

Throughout the Film Josh traveled to places such as Utah, Wyoming, Texas, and Colorado. Fox started making this film because in May of 2008 he received a letter from a gas company that was offering him $100,000 for his land in Milanville, Pennsylvania so that they could demolish his house and drill for natural gas. It was at this time that he realized that his house was on top of the Marcellus shale which is one of the largest deposits of natural gas in North America. It was because of this that he wanted to travel across the country to learn the dangers of natural gas from people who are experiencing it firsthand. He found families who were experiencing contamination of their air, water wells and surface water. He found many ridiculous stories and images, he was given glasses of water that was brown and told that the gas companies had informed the families that the water was safe to drink. The water was absolutely disgusting and could not have been safe for consumption. The film shows many scenes that make viewers believe that the drilling of natural gas is bad. It is not all bad however, natural gas is a clean source of energy that can be found in our country and not overseas. In my opinion I believe that the drilling and extraction of natural gas is essential if we want to find other means of energy.

 I did some research online to find out if all of the facts in the movie were in fact true. I found several discrepancies. In the film it shows a mass die off of fish that was said to be caused by the drilling for natural gas. After investigation however it was said that it was caused by runoff from a local coal mine. Another incident that Josh found was in Weld County, Colorado where Mike Markham lights his tap water on fire and then blames it on the drilling of natural gas. After the Colorado oil and gas conservation commission investigated his water and found that it was caused by the fact that his water well was drilled into an underground coal deposit. I think that the film was just poorly put together and there was a lot of speculation.