MovieChat Forums > GasLand (2011) Discussion > Have trouble believing this 'documentary...

Have trouble believing this 'documentary'


This looks to be one of those fakey documentaries where the director has an obvious, preconceived opinion, and damnit if he isn't going to do everything to stretch the truth to fit his exact opinion, complete with the "trying to contact a guy who he thinks is evil, not being able to get in touch with him, but recording his attempt to" that Michael Moore spawned. Sorry, more interested in real docs.

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Yes, I work in the O & G industry in the West, and much of the evidence presented in this film is misleading, exaggerated, and flat out fabricated. Not to mention the narrator seems like a creep. The fact is that many advocates of increasing domestic production of natural gas are democrats (see Obama). To increase that development and make it economically viable, fraking is needed to re-energize old wells.

There is one area where I agree with the filmmaker. People who own small ranches or rural homes often don't realize that they don't own the mineral rights to their land. This allows any O & G producer to buy up the lease and put wells wherever they please. This is a total nightmare for the home owners, and I've done land negociations with these types of folks. Sometimes I come away feeling really bad. I think there is need for regulation in this area. Some States and Tribal entities do regulate this, with spacing and noise requirements, etc, but many States, i.e. Wyoming, Utah don't. So, you can buy your dream home, and the next day, an oil company can show up and drill a well 50 feet from your front door, and there isn't a thing in the world you can do to prevent it. This crap needs to stop.

There are plenty of remote, barren sites in the West to drill, without having to drill in someone's front yard. Oil & Gas folks can be really pushy and demanding, and sometimes, they need to be backed down.

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I'd like to see some specific examples of exaggerations and falsehoods in this documentary. It's easy to say someone is stretching the truth and making things up, but you haven't said a word about what truth(s) they're stretching and what lies they're telling.

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Well, I'm not go into great detail, as much of salient issues are covered in the "debunking" and "debunking the debunking" threads.

As I indicated, I've worked in the O&G business for a long time, as a biological consultant, not a day-today operator. I've known about fraking issues for a long time and have had many conversations with independent hydrologists about fraking. I've also read a good share of the pro and anti-fraking literature. I don't call myself an expert on the subject, but I know enough about it.

The one major falsehood/exaggeration in the film is the idea that fraking will lead to widespread contamination of large aquifers. There is just no evidence to support this and hydrologists say this is just not possible. Is there occasionally localized contamination of water wells? Absolutely, especially when the operator is sloppy and cuts corners, which happens all too often in this industry. THIS should have been a focus of the documentary, but it wasn't because it distracts from its agenda. Did you notice that every "incident" documented in the film deals with the contamination of small localized water wells?

Also, the way the film "explains" the fraking process is extremely one-sided and misleading. When a frak job is done correctly, the fraking solutions go 1000s of feet into the ground, often as much as ten times deeper than the aquifer. So, in theory, fraking solutions should never come into contact with aquifers.

If you read my post carefully, you understand that I have some resevations about the way the Industry does business. I support stricter regulation of fraking. I think fraking should be largely restricted to uninhabited areas, with wide spacing buffers around any inhabited areas.

The US and the World are at a crisis in terms of energy needs. There is a desperate and growing demand for energy. Solar and wind can provide > 10% of our energy needs, even when maxed out at full potential. The remaining energy alternatives all involve threats to the environment and humans, real or perceived. Nuclear would appear to be the magic solution, providing almost limitless, cheap power, with no greenhouse gas issues. But then the 2011 Tsunami in Japan happened, and the World abandons Nuclear. So now, Japan will be getting its power from expensive, dirty coal, the worst of all solutions IMO.

The point I'm making is that there are no easy solutions. Going forward, we are going to have to make energy choices that involve sacrifice and unpleasant circumstances. This will involve more off-shore rigs, fraking, continued reliance on dirty coal, etc. Eventually, we will go the Nuclear route as well.
That's why I think a documentary like this, which advocates the elimination of a highly effective energy production method, is kind of ridiculous. As long as Americans demand affordable energy and use it without regard for conservation, then these "bad" alternatives will by necessary.

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Watch the documentary called Fracknation. It will clear it up quite a bit. What people don't realize is you could scare the crap out of people talking about Ice Cream or Cabbage if you list chemical names... GasLand is highly deceptive and shows that this guy knows nothing about what he's talking about. They've been able to light there water on fire forever.. greedy people want millions of $$ by suing the companies, thats all. People tried to do it to the coal industry a while back as well. There is a reason towns were named Burning Springs looong ago.... Even the contract he shows on film that the O&G company supposedly produced him wasn't even from the O&G companies which is why he marked out the names on the contract.. I really can't believe this propaganda film won awards

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I thought this was a scary but important documentary but I had one nagging doubt throughout the whole film.

Did any of the fracking victims vote for Bush/Cheney , McCain/Palin and/or Romney/Ryan?

If so - then they can't bleat about their polluted water and health problems.

Anyone who votes for the GOP get no sympathy from me.

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Rickmbari ... You ask for details about exaggerations and falsehoods in this documentary. Where do I start there are so many? But I'll tell you where to find the proof:-

I) Take a look at a couple of documentaries that challenge this film. Unlike “Gasland” they’re crammed with experts. You can watch them for free on YouTube.

The first documentary is called “FRACK NATION” by Phelim McAleer. As I say, you can watch it for free on YouTube.

The second free documentary is called “TRUTHLAND”. Besides talking to people with genuine expertise these two documentaries visit the places and speak to the folk featured in “Gasland“. And yes, they show flaming water pipes! But they tell a different story from what Fox would have us believe. And when you see the evidence you'll wonder about those people who told Josh there was 'weapons grade uranium' in their water!


2) Also you might like to read a book called "Groundswell - the case for fracking" by Ezra Levant. He spends a whole chapter examining the false claims in "Gasland". Levant also examines many of the controversies surrounding fracking. The book is crammed with direct quotations from experts, so it has real authority. I've written a long five star review on Amazon that gives a good idea of the contents of the book. My review is called:- ‘Thank God for fracking - It’s saving us all in the West.’

Hope this information helps you and other people reach informed decisions about fracking. You are right to demand authoritative evidence when there are so many strange stories around. One person claimed fracking was wasting 'trillions of gallons' of water! It's not. Another said he heard it causes cancer! It doesn't. But Gasland has fueled conspiracy theories and caused panic. It's doing immense harm to us in the free world and playing into the hands of our enemies who want to stop it. If you watch those two films and read the book I suggest you will find proof that "Gasland" is an unreliable source of information.

The truth is out there if only people know where to look!

Best wishes, Roger.





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You sabotage your case right off the top- Here's another way to start: the fact is that many advocates of fracking are republicans (see Cheney.)

The narrator sounds like a creep? What, are you in high school? You sound like a paid shill, determined to present the oil companies as the saviors of energy for tomorrow, who are so concerned about environmental safety and the health of our planet that actual profits are almost an afterthought.

Interesting to see the increase of earthquake activity and worrisome to consider a possible link to all of the fracking that has also been done there. But, of course, the energy companies have reassured everyone that there is NO link. Thank goodness.

Except today, geologists have published a report indicating that there is plenty of evidence that all of these earthquakes WERE caused by fracking! Was it an oversight, a mistake by the energy concerns who are making billions on shale oil; oops, I mean who are supplying the necessary power needed to drive our economy and help us remain #1 in the world? Or was it a cover-up. Know the history of these companies, my money is on the latter.

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No, my point was that many democrats, and even some really liberal ones support fraking. Obviously republicans do.

I believe that fraking will start to be scrutinized more in coming years, especially if a democrat wins the WH in 2016.

You sound like a paid shill, determined to present the oil companies as the saviors of energy for tomorrow, who are so concerned about environmental safety and the health of our planet that actual profits are almost an afterthought.


You sound like someone who swallowed everything in the doc, hook, line and sinker.

FYI, fraking has been around for decades. I'm not pushing anyone's agenda, I'm just interested in facts rather than propaganda (something BOTH sides have engaged in). I favor legislation which would ban fraking within a safe radius of human habitation (as indicated in my post).

The fact is that as long as humans, and particularly Americans use fossil fuels at the rate they are, there are NO safe energy choices. Liberal environmentalists who consume lots of fossil fuels are hypocrites and should just shut up. If every American made one sacrifice every year, i.e., one less road trip, vacation, or set their heaters or A/C at a lightly lower comfort level, it would make a huge difference, and maybe so much fraking wouldn't be needed?

I'm a civilian, I'm not a trout

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I'm one of those people who doesn't drive, but bikes and walks a lot, and takes the subway to work. I live in an apartment building in a densely populated and I am NOT a heavy consumer of fossils fuels. No, I haven't bought 100% into anything, but distrust of the oil companies is well-founded.

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Well, it sounds like you're doing your part. I've cut back on my recreational travel quite a bit in the past few years, and saving on gas is a nice consequence! If I go camping, I'll find some place close to my town, rather than travel 4 to 5 hours.

distrust of the oil companies is well-founded


As someone who works in the industry, I couldn't agree more.

I'm a civilian, I'm not a trout

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