Fracking Synthesis

Logan Adams

September 28, 2012

Scientific American Synthesis

            An article in the magazine, “Scientific American,” there is an article on fracking in Wyoming and how it is related to pollution in the area. But what is fracking exactly? Fracking is a term for hydraulic fracturing which is used for acquiring resources such as gas, which is what is going on in Pavilion, Wyoming. The problem in this area though is that the wells in the area are becoming contaminated with various pollutants that are known to be used in the fracking process. This has received notice from the EPA and has forced them to conduct a survey of the area.

            The EPA released a report that stated, “The presence of synthetic compounds such as glycol ethers...and the assortment of other organic components…” which are results of the chemicals used in the fracking process mixing with the groundwater in the area. There ended up being around ten total compounds that were linked to the hydraulic fracturing process in some way. This evidence seems more or less irrefutable, even when the locals in the area began complaining of their well water turning brown after fracking begun. But the spokesman for the company who owns the wells, Doug Hock, seems to think that the company is not at fault.

            Hock doesn’t feel that EnCana, the company that is responsible for the wells that are in question, is the source of this contamination in the region and says that, “Nothing EPA presented suggests anything has changed since August of last year--the science remains inconclusive in terms of data, impact, and source.” The company is essentially denying any blame for the problem. They also elaborate on how the fracking process is completely safe and that there is no possible way for contaminants to leak out into the ground.

Ecopedagogy Response

   In this piece by Richard Kahn, the subject is purely the environment and the education of the people who inhabit it. The problem Kahn attempts to present to the reader, and does so quite well, is that people are not very informed about their surroundings.  He brings up various,alarming facts such as 45 million Americans think the ocean is a source of fresh water. That very fact informs the reader, and me, there is a string need for more environmental education in our society. Honestly, it scares me even to think that such common knowledge is not exactly so common for a large sum of people. If we do not change our academic ways we will be facing a serious issue of sustainability on our planet in the near future. Kahn presented this serious argument and I totally agree with him because we wont be able to fix this problem if nobody knows there is one.

Today's Forum - Sept. 7th

    My thoughts concerning today's forum simply reaffirm what I had discussed in my previous blog post about the themes in Turtle Island. One of my classmates discussed a poem that he read that spoke of roadkill and how that kind of shocked me, but I would assume that's essentially what the author was going for. But the bigger theme that the poem is going for is how we have intruded upon the habitat of the wildlife around us. That was the poem that we discussed that stuck with me the most.

Themes in Turtle Island

In the book Turtle Island, composed by Gary Snyder, there is a constant theme that is repeated throughout every poem I read. The theme is not easily described in one word, but it can be described as an appreciation for nature, a love for the environment, a sincere respect for everything outdoors, etc. One poem that really stuck out to me was on page 11 entitled "Call of the Wild." In this poem, the narrator informs the reader of the coyotes and how the government trappers will use their iron-leg traps and , "Tomorrow, My sons will lose this music they have just started to love." That really sunk into me when I read it in that in such a small phrase, they described the coyotes being lost to trapping, and also how they will no longer be around for their children. We can even infer that the children even began to enjoy the coyote's howl at night. This type of theme/idea of conservation is present throughout this collection of poems/environmental thoughts.