EPA: Natural Gas Fracking Linked to Water Contamination

The article written by Abrahm Lustgarten , Nicholas Kusnetz and ProPublica is shedding light on the possibility that fracking or  hydraulic fracturing is playing a major role in water pollution. Fracking is the process of extracting natural gas from shale rock layers deep within the earth.

In Pavilion Wyo, 10 fluid compounds were found in gas wells, these fluid compounds are called fracking liquids and are part of the fracking process. The finding of these fluids has sparked up a lot of controversy first with the drilling industry. For they had previously claimed that fracking does no harm and is ‘safe’ “that hydrologic pressure would naturally force fluids down, not up; that deep geologic layers provide a watertight barrier preventing the movement of chemicals towards the surface.” The fracking fluids contradict their statement for the fluids appeared in gas wells instead of going down as they were supposed to.

Environmental advocates haven taken this information as an opportunity to re-spark the debate about federal laws concerning hydraulic fracking. Amy Marshall a senior policy analyst at the Natural Resources Defense Council says that stronger rules need to be implied for the recent 121-page report it is obvious that there are consequences occurring due to fracking. On the other side of the argument is EnCana a spokesman for the gas wells in Pavilion says that the fluid build up is not because of fracking is due to a natural cause.

This new information is not only creating debates between environmentalist and CEOs it is becoming a heated debate in congress. The congress is not considering new regulation to further regulate fracking. The EPAs final draft report will be ready in the spring and undergo intense public review, until then everything will remain unclear on whether or not fracking will have more rules or if it will continue to pollute our drinking water.  

Is it just a backpack?

This backpack is made of crocodile, its from the Mary Kate and Ashley clothing line. Some would say this is a fairly nice back but people are also shocked when the hear the price of it. At 35,000 US dollars this belly crocodile skin backpack is yours. This image is an example of visual rhetoric because it is portraying how cruel fashion can be. The backpack shows how animal skins are used for fashion, and not only that but items are priced so expensively that essentially only a small percentage would actually purchase such items. 

Turtle Island 3

In most of Gary Snyder he seems to always go back to the notion of nature and man. The poems also focus on how mankind is using up natural resources in an unsustainable manner. Bioregionalism is basically defined as the preservation of various bioregions by preserving them from mankind. Both the poems of Turtle Island and Bioregionalism work towards the same 'goal'. They both seem to have the same general idea, which today is advertised as 'Go Green'.

Turtle Island 2

After reading an array of Gary Snyder’s Turtle Island poems it is clear that he feels there needs to be major change made in the way people go about unconsciously infecting the environment. With only have read a handful it is hard to determine whether Turtle Island is a pessimistic or optimistic book. For some of his poems like The Use of Light they are whimsical and light while some convey darker imagery and deeper meaning. One that stuck out to me the most was Mother Earth: Her Whales, this is an example of a poem where Snyder shows how the destruction of humans was and still affecting our resources. Overall Turtle Island’s poems all show a connection between man and nature. 

Turtle Island 1

It has become obvious that Gary Snyder observes nature and human interactions within it. Snyder's poems are usually about criticizing the way we live and utilize the resources we have around us. Gary Snyder writes poems that are either embracing nature and all its beauty or portray nature in a very dark manner. In the poem "The Dead by the Side of the Road" he writes about something we see almost everyday, roadkill. Like this poem, many of Snyder's poems are very literal and in my opinion are write to create awareness amongst communities.