Fracturing Lives: Gas and Its Effect on Communities in the Appalachian Region
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
Horizontal hydraulic fracturing as a way to extract gas began in earnest in 2007 in what has historically been Coalfield Appalachia. Since then, residents in the natural gas fields of Appalachia have seen a downturn in their quality of life. Detrimental health effects, stress on roadways, environmental predation and toxification, economic exploitation, and political corruption have held the area hostage and perpetuated a sense of helplessness and hopelessness that has, in turn, reduced local investment in economic and cultural alternatives that would reverse this downturn. The rhetoric that development of our fossil fuel resources is “the best we can do” has kept the region from exploring healthier alternatives. This presentation will explore the realities about fracked gas extraction from cradle to grave, and its effect on water, public health, economics and communities.
Fracturing Lives: Gas and Its Effect on Communities in the Appalachian Region
Horizontal hydraulic fracturing as a way to extract gas began in earnest in 2007 in what has historically been Coalfield Appalachia. Since then, residents in the natural gas fields of Appalachia have seen a downturn in their quality of life. Detrimental health effects, stress on roadways, environmental predation and toxification, economic exploitation, and political corruption have held the area hostage and perpetuated a sense of helplessness and hopelessness that has, in turn, reduced local investment in economic and cultural alternatives that would reverse this downturn. The rhetoric that development of our fossil fuel resources is “the best we can do” has kept the region from exploring healthier alternatives. This presentation will explore the realities about fracked gas extraction from cradle to grave, and its effect on water, public health, economics and communities.
