Fracktured

By Nancy Myers Matt Damon is starring in a new movie to be made about fracking, The Promised Land. Of course, there was the powerful documentary, Gasland, whose maker, Joshua Fox, was arrested trying to film a House Science Committee hearing on fracking for a sequel to Gasland. Another documentary is in the works, Frack Nation, which will apparently extol the benefits of fracking. I can't wait to see that. Such an inspiring title. (Could it possibly be a spoof? Apparently not.)  So the topic of fracking is getting some media attention, at least in film.

We thought something was missing, however--the cartoon version. Perhaps you don't need to sit for two hours in a movie theater or  in front of your TV to learn all you need to know about fracking. Perhaps 4 minutes is enough, including time for laughter. We thought SEHN's newest colleagues, Stick Girl and Stick Guy, might be able to handle that assignment.

So here is  Stick Girl and Stick Guy's discussion of the 5-letter F word. Tell us what you think.

And here's SEHN board member Sandra Steingraber's latest take on the issue, "Cancer in the Ransom Note," which won't take you more than 4 minutes to read and packs an even more powerful punch.

If you want to do something about fracking, one place to start is by supporting the New York coalition that is trying to keep their state from going the way of Pennsylvania. Sandra helped get that coalition going.

Much more can be done. Stick Guy points out that we need to ramp up efficiency and conservation. And wouldn't it be great if the federal government actually decided that fracking should be regulated under existing laws such as the Clean Water Act? It's been given a total pass, left to the states. What a mess. Literally.