Gasland Documentary Comes to WYO, Features Pavillion
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
LARAMIE, Wyo. - The town of Pavillion, Wyo., is one of the stars of a documentary being shown today in Laramie and Thursday in Cheyenne. "Gasland" features landowner experiences with natural-gas drilling in 24 states.
Film director Josh Fox became interested in those stories after turning down an energy company's offer to drill for gas on his property in Pennsylvania. He was concerned about damage to property, property value and water pollution with the "fracking" process used to extract the gas, and says he wanted to counter what he was hearing from those promoting natural gas as "clean."
"The natural gas industry's lobby is very adamant about getting out there and saying, 'Oh, look at this oil spill. We should use natural gas.'"
Natural-gas industry groups said the film was full of misleading claims when it made its debut on HBO last year. A sequence showing that drinking water became flammable after nearby fracking was widely promoted at that time.
Fox says he also uncovered negative economic repercussions related to fracking and discovered that the technology is widely used without much oversight. He hopes the film opens the door for public discussion.
"It's really a false solution to our energy needs. It's a false solution to climate change."
"Gasland" will be shown at 5:30 p.m. today at the University of Wyoming's Business Auditorium in Laramie, and at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Kiwanis Community House, 4603 Lions Park Drive in Cheyenne. Showings are sponsored by the Wyoming Outdoor Council, Powder River Basin Resource Council and the Good Mule Project, a University of Wyoming student group.
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