One Major Problem.


There was one major point that was left out of this film. These people knowingly and willingly signed a lease with the energy company to have hydraulic fracturing done on the property in which they live. They then took the money. Which could be hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars up front plus a good percentage of the gross of gas taken out of the ground once the drilling starts. And when the energy company showed up and fulfilled the lease these property owners got pissed. What did they think was going to happen? I think the property owners shoulder some of the blame here. They could have very easily told the energy company to pound sand and not sign anything.

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Some of the individuals in this film did not sign any agreement with the energy companies, nor did they receive any money, because the work was being done nearby their property rather than on their property. Furthermore, these companies vigorously deny that there is any danger involved with their operations and ensure those who do sign a contract they will be in no danger whatsoever. So even for those who signed a contract (and again, some DID NOT sign anything) the deception negates any kind of fair agreement with the land owners.

While I can understand the "be careful what you wish for" argument, the problems facing those interviewed in this film merely provide an emotional argument for why we need to regulate the energy industry and enforce environmental protection laws. The practices of Exxon Mobile, Halliburton, and the many, many others looking for a nice big slice of the energy industry will not just affect a few people in the middle of nowhere. If they have their way, we will all be waking up to the clean water delivery man twice a week because our water lights on fire and causes our hair to fall out.

My suggestion would be to forget about the emotional argument and focus on the fact that the afflicted individuals interviewed in this film will never pose any threat to you. The quest to accumulate resources no matter how badly they contaminate the Earth and no matter how severely they poison Americans is another story. It could be a huge threat, and it's much more worthy of your condemnation.

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