Any real journalists out there?
Seems the industry wants to talk, to anyone but Josh.
Last week we told you about Josh Fox and Gasland being nominated for an Academy Award and the industry trying to discredit all. How can you discredit the truth? We all watched as Josh drove across the country interviewing people and testing water samples. How much more real can you get? WHY would anybody make that up? There are no benefits to your water being ruined. NONE. Was the prestigious Academy appalled that their selection was attacked? One can only hope. Read Josh's Open Letter to Journalists on TXSharon. YOU can't afford to miss it.
GASLAND exposes the disaster being caused across the U.S. by the largest domestic natural gas drilling campaign history and how the contentious Halliburton-developed drilling technology called hydraulic fracturing, or fracking threatens the water supply of millions.
There are major watershed areas providing water to millions of Americans that are at risk here, including the watershed areas for New York City and Philadelphia. The catastrophe has been widely covered not only in GASLAND, but also by hundreds of news stories, films and TV segments. This is a moment of crisis that cannot be understated.
In addition to Josh's letter, below we have a copy of an email exchange between a small town Mayor, a big city Council Member, local activists and a Victim of the Shale. The exchange brings up some interesting questions. We thought it'd be more fun for you to guess WHO said WHAT, so we removed the names. Have fun kids!
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We invited Ed to debate Josh since he's been going out of his way to bash Gasland, taking out full page ads and talking to every reporter who'd give him 2 minutes of time. Ed declined after 'thinking about it' for 3 days. Then a local Councilman decided to chime in. Below is some excerpts from the emails, purely for your entertainment.
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I already challenged Josh twice to come down here to debate. He hasn't responded.
XXXX
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Councilman XXXX,
I appreciate your message regarding a debate with Josh. We have requested Mr. Ireland debate with Josh, and he has declined. Mr. Ireland runs an industry funded organization, and frequently speaks in public regarding the Barnett Shale, and has been critical of the Oscar Nominated "Gasland". Therefore, it would be only fitting for him and Josh to have an fair and open debate about the merits of the movie. It is likely that many people would come to see the Fox/Ireland debate. However, in your case I am not sure what gives a councilman from Arlington the idea that he has some qualifications to debate with Josh or anyone else for that matter on natural gas exploration; or why anyone would want to see it. I have heard your name a few times, and do get cc'd in on hundreds of emails daily, some of which are to you, but we have never met,and therefore I know nothing about you. So naturally I am curious as to what background you would have that would make this something that people would want to see? The proposed debate with Mr. Ireland was going to be sponsored by ShaleTest.org; however, it simply would not be worth it for us to sponsor a debate with you. However, I do not speak for Josh, and am sure that he would debate with you whenever he is back in TX if he has time, that is between you and him, but you might want to careful what you wish for. The industry propaganda is nothing more than a smear campaign, and Josh has responded in depth to each of their claims. There have been several industry reps who have taken a run at debating Josh, and have looked more like paid liars, than a legitimate source of information. I would not wish to see another public official look foolish in front of his citizens, but as Shakespeare said, "The school of ignorance is the most expensive, but some will learn in no other".
X
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Gosh, X. You are correct. I'm probably just not smart enough. Pardon me for even thinking I could be in the same room with ya'll.
XXXX
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XXXX,
you have mentioned to me that you have spent the last three years researching this and have honestly not found drilling to be a detriment to public health. You also said you paid a professional in the business.
While I've been reading Txsharon's blog for years now, I've been digging hard and fast on my own and have saved over 375 pages of research, dialog and links that I have emailed folks on to "spread the love" (info acquired which is exactly the opposite of what you claim to have found).
So I ask you to swap data with me. I will forward you my "book" if you forward me your emails and links that have lead you to believe we all are safe being so near to drilling.
Sincerely,
XX
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XX:
We have most likely read the same stuff, followed the same links, listened to the same gurus, naysayers, and prognosticaters. Our differences reside in our weltanschauung: we simply see the world differently. Therein lies the beauty of the forum/debate we are considering. Take out all the empiricism and facts and "irrefutable proof" on both sides of this argument, and you distill down to you and me, et al. THAT's what we need to get to if progress is to be made beyond stalemate.
XXXX
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Mr. XXXX:
I find it difficult to believe you have read all the same stuff, followed all the same links, listened to all the same people, and have simply come to a different conclusion. If you have, then it only makes it that much more confusing to understand how you're drawing different conclusions. I also know for a fact that you have not seen all of the videos, pictures, and other documentation that I have about natural gas well development. If you have, then you would know that there are dozens upon dozens of affected families and homeowners out there, some of which have the actual documentation of ground water contamination, polluted air, and contaminated soil. Some of them I know personally, as do you, because they reside in Arlington.
You would also be aware of the fact that my property and house (no longer our home) once appraised as high as $340,000 is now officially on the county tax rolls with a value less than $78,000. This is not my opinion, but rather the result of a county tax appraisal hearing during which the 5 member board (voting 5-0) was provided with hundreds of pages, pictures, videos, aerial photos, environmental testing results from more than 3 separate labs. Not sure how you missed it, as it was front page news, and covered by the local news stations. You would also know that this is not an isolated incident, as many of the provided pieces of documentation are of and related to other properties and other operators. The provided documentation clearly shows there are many risks involved with natural gas well development. I would say, and many agree, including many in the Industry, that the closer these operations are to people and their schools, homes, churches and other places where people congregate that risks are greater with every foot. I suppose it's debatable as to what those risks are, but to say that there absolutely no risks is untrue.
You should also be well aware of the fact that the TCEQ has taken enforcement actions against this particular operator 4 times, and are now under investigation by the Attorney General.
All that said, have you ever noticed that the ONLY people who are claiming natural gas well development is safe or disputing anything in 'Gasland' are the very same people causing the damage and/or benefiting financially from this process?
I would point out to you that Ed Ireland was asked to participate in a debate with Josh Fox because Mr. Ireland has been going well out of his way trying to discredit 'Gasland', but having nothing more than Industry created propaganda to rely on. He's taken out full page ads bashing 'Gasland', and has been quite accommodating to every reporter, but only regurgitating the false and distorted 'facts' fed to him by Industry-the very same people who fully fund his 'non-profit' and pay his salary. Mr. X and I were simply looking to provide Mr. Ireland an opportunity to put his money where his mouth is, and he has declined. I would have thought Mr. Ireland would have relished the opportunity to debate Josh, if everything that Josh has done and said can be so easily disproved and having quite a lot of evidence proving his own claims. Interestingly enough, Mr. Ireland needed a few days to check with his handlers, ultimately concluding that the debate would only serve to further promote 'Gasland' and bring that much more attention to it. I would have thought the debate would have been a wonderful opportunity for Mr. Ireland to promote the Barnett Shale Energy Education Council.
I have been to the Arlington City Council a few times, so I'm well aware of what your position is on natural gas well development. I have made the invitation a number of times, but will extend the same invitation to you and Mr. Ireland as well; My family and I reside at XXXXXXX. You are more than welcome to come out and see the place yourself at any time. I will be happy to show you around. I'll show you the well heads that are 300 feet outside our backdoor that have had Bradenhead pressure issues that the operator knew about but did nothing to correct until threatened with a seal order by the TRRC. I show you where there's a methane leak, not 50 away from the well heads where some unknown bright red fluid emits and the bubbles ignite. I'll show you the leaking tank battery, where more than 9,000 gallons of produced water was spilled and covered up as opposed to cleaning it up. I'll point out which of the four tanks overflowed and gushed condensate for more than 12 hours before the operator found the time to come out and fix it. I'll show you the 30 foot high flare that was incorrectly installed, that belched out fire and smoke for weeks before the operator was embarrassed into fixing it. I'll show you around the work pad, our former horse pasture that has yet to produce so much as weeds after three separate grass seedings. I'll show you the more than 700 foot long and 20 foot wide swath of land the operator tore up to install their pipeline-and not much grows there, either. Lastly, I'll take you over to the mineral right owner's place, who exempted 50 acres out of more than 300 around his own home from pipelines and drilling-but 200 feet for the rest of us. Any time that's convenient for you, please let me know.
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