Fracking’s Contribution to Water Contamination

In December 2011, the Environmental Protection Agency sparked great controversy as it declared that hydraulic fracturing could be the root cause of underground water pollution in central Wyoming. Hydraulic fracturing is the process of extracting natural gas or oil from the ground by means of injecting chemicals at high pressure into the fractures of rocks below earth’s surface (“Dictionary.com”). Officials claim that the pollution near Pavillion, Wyoming “had most likely seeped up from gas wells and contained at least 10 compounds known to be used in frack fluids” (Lustgarten, and Kusnetz 3).

At the time, EnCana did not express any concern and accused the EPA of false findings. EnCana is the gas company that owns the wells near Pavillion, and a spokesman for the company stated that, “Nothing EPA presented suggests anything has changed since August of last year – the science remains inconclusive in terms of data, impact, and source” (Lustgarten, and Kusnetz 10). This is ridiculous considering the chemicals found are the same as those used in fracking. Coinciding with the spokesman’s statement, Senator James Inhofe (R-Okla.) told a Senate panel that he “found the agency’s report on the Pavillion-area contamination ‘offensive’” (Lustgarten, and Kusnetz 11). Inhofe continued to oppose the EPA by labeling the agency as biased.

Many of the local Pavillion residents complained that their water turned brown after the gas wells had been fracked; this problem startein the mid-1990s and has gotten increasingly worse throughout the years (Lustgarten, and Kusnetz 12). An on-going issue of this magnitude cannot continue and cannot be declared “inconclusive” or “offensive.” The EPA began taking water samples in early 2008. Traces of hydrocarbons and other chemicals that are used in fracking had been found within the resident’s water wells (Lustgarten, and Kusnetz 13). In 2010, the EPA and federal health officials warned residents to avoid consumption of the water and to ventilate homes during baths as the methane in the water could cause explosions (Lustgarten, and Kusnetz 13). Residents could no longer safely bathe without fear of the chemicals in the water. It has been disrupting their lives since the issue began in the 1990s.

Further investigation by the EPA led to findings of high levels of carcinogenic chemicals such as benzene; a well-known chemical that is used in fracking, 2 Butoxyethanol, was also found in the water (Lustgarten, and Kusnetz 14). However, despite the evidence, EnCana continued to deny their involvement in any of the pollution. The company would not reveal the chemicals that had been used to frack the wells. The finding of 2-BE was considered “inconsistent in detection,” according to Doug Hock, the EnCana spokesman (Lustgarten, and Kusnetz 23). Despite all the findings, hopefully Hock and the Senator will realize the harm they are doing not only to the land, but to the innocent residents of Pavillion.

 

"Hydraulic Fracturing." Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, LLC., 2012. Web. 28 Sep 2012. <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/hydraulic fracturing>.

Lustgarten, Abrahm, and Nicholas Kusnetz. "EPA: Natural Gas Fracking Linked to Water Contamination." Scientific American. 09 Dec 2011: n. page. Web. 28 Sep. 2012. <http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=fracking-linked-water-contamination-federal-agency>.

 

A Response to Richard Kahn: Environmental Education

Reading Richard Kahn's article, Towards Ecopedagogy: Weaving a Broad-based Pedagogy of Liberation for Animals, Nature, and the Oppressed People of the Earth, the ignorance society has about environmental issues is brought into perspective. "45 million Americans believe that the ocean is a fresh source of water” (Kahn 6). It is ridiculous how many people can even believe that. The Nation needs environmental education to learn how to prevent further damage to the earth.

One method would be to integrate mandatory, general environmental education courses into schools, the simplest starting in elementary and growing progressively more informative into high school. Once students enter colleges and universities, required environmental classes should teach students how to care for and aid the environment based off of the student’s intended major. For example, if a student’s intended major was automotive engineering, the environmental class would teach to student how an automotive engineer would properly dispose of chemicals, fluids and parts, and to use the knowledge of their major to create environmentally-friendly vehicles.

If students graduate high school and directly enter the workforce, on-the-job training must include a section on the environment that pertains to the work. Each job, no matter what it happens to be, must include some sort of environmental education requirement upon hire. If a student in high school has been hired part-time at McDonalds, then the manager in charge of the restaurant must see to it that the new employee learns how to properly dispose of trash, recycling, and how to keep the building sanitary without causing environmental harm. Every employee must also pass the environmental course before being allowed to work.

By keeping people properly educated on the environment, not only would prevent further issues from occurring and aid the damage that has already been done, but it would decrease ignorance and allow for people to spread the word of environmental protection. This would allow for society to grow in a way that is much friendlier to the earth than it currently is.

Environmental Visual Rhetoric

Image can be found here.

          The image above is an example of environmental visual rhetoric. Obviously the level of inappropriateness is extreme, but the image clearly shows the harm that humans are doing to the earth. The figures of a man and a woman can be seen. The man (civilization) can be seen sexually assaulting the female figure (nature). Civilization and industrialization have violently stripped Earth of her natural resources, much like a vulgar act of indecency. Much of this reminds me of "Front Lines," a poem by Snyder that is featured in his book Turtle Island. The poem, much like the image, powerfully illustrates environmental damage by suggesting a sexual assault on Earth.

          Technology aids in creating impacting images that can be widely distributed throughout the world in order to provide others with information so that they may venture out and reverse the damaging effects we have done.

Turtle Island: Part 3

Affluence

The poem says, "now burn the tangles dowsing, pokey heaps with diesel oil. paying the price somebody didn't pay." I believe the theme in this poem deals with forest fires and how a lot of them are due to humans not properly disposing the debris.

The Dazzle

This poem's theme seems to be spring. Snyder is speaking of the flowers; how they spread and grow, and how wonderful it is. "the dazzle, the seduction of design" states that the process flowers go through to grow and reproduce is magical almost.

Dusty Braces

"O you ancestors" seems to imply that this poem is more of a letter to Snyder's past relatives. He names all the occupations they had and looks down on them for being what they were because they "killd off the cougar and grizzly" with their "nine bows." Snyder ends the poem by saying, "-your sea roving, tree hearted son." The theme of the poem seems to be the difference between Snyder and his ancestors.

Turtle Island Poems: Part Two

The Real Work

     This poem's main theme seems to be the ocean and how it is the "real work." I believe Snyder is saying that the ocean is the only thing that should be changing the earth, not humans. People are always attempting to change nature, creating man-made "lakes" and "rivers," but it's not the job of the humans. The only work to be done is the "real work" by nature itself, like the ocean.

It Pleases

     In this poem, the main theme is the White House and how the government does nothing. "The world does what it pleases" suggests that, despite the government being the power and law of the land, they truly have no power and people will do what they want, despite the law.

For The Children

     The main theme of this poem is how the earth is soon ending. "The steep climb of everything, going up, as we all go down" states that although we're growing as a society, our world is going down - the environment is dying.


     "The Real Work" and "For The Children" both tie into the "nature" theme that Turtle Island seems to carry out, but "It Pleases" talks about government and society itself.

Turtle Island Poems

Gary Snyder’s Turtle Island has a collection of poems that focus on the earth and how society has become wasteful. Anasazi, Without, The Dead by the Side of the Road, and The Bath all share the same basic themes of simplicity and nature.

“Anasazi” (page 3) brings the reader into nature itself. Snyder takes a dive into a field of corn and beans, bringing the reader in with “eyes full of pollen.” By calling the fields “Gods” he is showing his respect for the food. The place he is describing is a simple area where he can sniff the scents of the animals, taste the ground, and hear the streams in the canyons.

Snyder intends on keeping this simplistic nature alive, and the poem “Without” (page 6) explains the power of nature. Humans are losing touch with the power of nature within themselves. Nature is silent in their hearts. The end of nature will come with this, and the only option is not to save Earth but to heal it. “Singing” the proof, truly feeling nature, is the way to reconnect humans to the “power within.”

            The following poem, “The Dead by the Side of the Road” (page 7), focuses on road kill. It shows that humans are wasteful creatures that need to learn to properly make use of everything. Most people would leave a deceased animal lying on the road; rather, respect for the being should be taken and it should be used for something useful. Snyder explains that when he found a Ringtail he case-skinned it and turned it into a pouch. The souls of these poor creatures should be prayed for, according to Snyder, because as humans we are at fault for their death.

            Lastly, “The Bath” (page 12), illuminates the simplicity that humans should enjoy. Snyder and his family bathe each other and appreciate each other’s bodies. The tools the family uses for the bath are simple: a kerosene lantern, an iron stove, a wooden bucket, fire, and water. What is necessary is only used rather than fancy tools. The family is simple and in touch with nature. After the bath, Snyder’s family rests, gaze at the stars, and share joy in each other’s company and laughter on “Great Earth.” Snyder’s theme is apparent in each of the poems, and it is easy to see that any human can take a step back.