EPA: Natural Gas Fracking Linked to Water Contamination

            Federal officers of the EPA found that water contamination in central Wyoming is due to a gas drilling process. The EPA found this by doing a study to determine whether or not fracking harmed the water resources in the first place. EPA officials said that the contamination close to the town of Pavillion contained at least ten compounds that are known to be used in frack fluids.  A draft report that was released says that “the presence of synthetic compounds such as glycol ethers… and the assortment of other organic compounds is explained as the result of direct mixing of hydraulic fracturing fluids with ground water in the Pavillion gas field.”

            Due to these findings, there could be a significant turning point in the debate over whether or not there I contamination from fracking. This will also likely influence the how the country will regulate natural gas resources throughout the Eastern Appalachian states. These findings also contradict many of the arguments about why fracking is a safe process, which the drilling industry has been using for many years. For example “hydrologic pressure would naturally force fluids down, not up; that deep geologic layers provide a watertight barrier preventing the movement of chemicals towards the surface; and that the problems with the cement and steel barriers around gas wells aren’t connected to fracking.” Environmental advocates seized this opportunity to argue for tougher regulations of fracking.

            A policy analyst at the Natural Resources Defense Council says that there is always a risk when it comes to fracking. There are many things that can go wrong and this is why we need strong regulations on fracking, so we can lessen the threat on drinking water. At first EnCana, the gas station that owns the Pavillion wells, did not respond to the invite for remark. When there finally was a remark, the spokesman Doug Hock said that nothing has changed since last August, and that there remains inclusive data.

            The EPA’s findings instantly caused an intense political dispute over the regulations of fracking. Senator James Inofe’s office challenged the EPA’s investigation in Wyoming previously as biased. In the mid-1990’s civilians around the Pavillion area began to complain of foul water, and things only got worse in 2004. They complained that there water turned brown, and for a time gas stations provided drinking water to the citizens. In 2008 water samples were taken from the drinking water and hydrocarbons and other contaminants that could be related to fracking were found. Then in 2010 the EPA drilled two water-monitoring wells that confirmed high levels of carcinogenic chemicals (such as benzene and 2 Butoxyethanol) which are known to be used in fracking. The EPA still did not draw conclusions from the tests, because agriculture, drilling, and old pollution from waste pits left by the oil and gas industry are all possible causes of the contamination.

            In the report released it was concluded that pollution from 33 abandoned oil and gas waste pits are responsible for some pollution in the shallow ground water. But they could not be responsible for the pollution found in the monitoring wells 1,000 feet underground. The agency finally concluded that the contamination had to be caused by fracking. These findings are specific to Wyoming due to the fact that the gas wells are being fracked at shallower depths. The EPA also concluded that sporadic bonding occurred in the cement in areas which led to the barrier that kept the chemicals in their intended zone had been weakened. Finally, hydrolic pressure was found in the Pavillion area that pushed fluids from deep geologic layers towards the surface. These barriers were not a proper barrier to the contaminents that were moving up.

            

Fashion Claims It's Victims

This example of visual rhetoric is portraying the issue of killing animals for their fur and using them in the production of clothing. This photo is trying to convey that even though we may not think of it to be a big issue, killing animals for their fur and other body parts is still a huge problem. As shown in the picture not only are the old targeted but the young as well. We must be careful before we kill off entire species for their furs and other body parts. Technology is a great way to inform people of the facts. Through the internet and phones and many other sources of technology the realities of our world could be taught to everyone. The word can be spread and then world awareness could be increased.

The System

Today's system it is set up to keep people in the same social class in which they are born into. It is difficult if not impossible to move up the social ladder. Kahn also believes that the system is trained to destroy the environment. "A threat to either the organism or its environment is a movement towards the ecology of death: the life process requires both and any process that so binds the one or the other so as to threaten “both” is in some sense courting death and moving away from the love of life" (Kahn). In order to fix this system there would have to be an equality throughout all schools. There could not be any different levels in schooling or special treatments for any students in anyway. Simply, there is really no true way to eliminate differences in social class. People who are wealthier will always be able to pay for their children to go to the better schools and those who aren't will go to the ones that are provided for everyone. There will always be different social classes and one will always begin where they are born into. In order to get into a higher social class someone will have to work twice as hard as someone who was born into that higher class. That is how it is and always has been. Something like this is not easily changed. 

Bioregionalism and Turtle Island

Gary Snyder focuses a lot on nature and how man is interfering with the land and using up its resources. Bioregionalism is based upon the preservation of the many different bioregions, and also protecting them from the overuse of man. Both bioregionalism and Snyder seem to have the same general idea. Both revolve around the idea of protecting nature and preventing man from interfering with it too much.

Turtle Island

In Turtle Island the poem "Facts" lists many realities that are terrifying to think about. It emphasizes that the United States uses so many resources compared to the percent of the population it takes up. The US is very greedy when it comes to the life style compared to that of places suffering from poverty. The United States consumes 1/3 of the energy on Earth, yet it only makes up 6% of the population. Snyder emphasizes that we do not use the energy naturally provided for us, like solar, enough. This is because the government subsidizes fossil fuels so much that nuclear energy cannot compete. "The Dead By The Side Of The Road," shows how humans are invading into nature. There are animals that once were living, that are now dead because humans have intruded into their home. What once was the animals and untouched wilderness is now intruded on by man. With growing populations mankind is expanding more and more into the animals homes. We are slowly taking over their entire habitat. We consume way too many resources and in the process we are taking over nature. "Anasazi"Snyder shows how parts of the world live in such devastation, while the United States lives a very spoiled livelihood. The US consumes so much, and wastes so much when parts of the world are living in such poverty.

Turtle Island Poems

The main theme of "Without" is simply the title. Nature could disappear, and we could be without it. We need to find the power within and help preserve the "silence" of nature. In "Pine Tree Tops" Gary Snyder talks about the beauty of the pine tops with the frost against the starlight. He then asks "what do we know?" Saying that there is so much beauty and serenity in the earth and yet, we know nothing about it in the big scope of things. "The Uses of Light" describes numerous ways that light can be used. For example it can be used for warmth and it gives you the ability to see.

Bill Mckibben's Podcast and Bioregional Quiz

The Earth has changed since this generation was introduced to the land. People do not understand what has happened and where the earth is headed. The population growth is increasing at a rate that is becoming unsafe and unsustainable by out Earth. In order to change the current path mankind is on, a transition is needed. Economies no longer need to grow. Growth has been the answer to all of the world’s problems before. People believed that if growth in our economy occurred then the world was headed to success. However, this though process needs to change. People need to know and agree that growth is no longer the answer. Here on Earth, mankind has reached the limits of growth. Taking the bioregional quiz clarified that most people do not know much about the bioregion in which is inhabited by our species. People need to become aware of the current state in which the Earth is in. The institutions that control the population also needs to change. For example, subsidies that make the process easier and very cheap to plant corn. So much land is wasted on corn, and runs many small farmers away due to the competition. Now is the time for people around the world to change in order to sustain the earth.