The Detriment that is Fracking

“Fracking,” more than just a curse word from the popular TV show Battlestar Galactica, this process for extracting methane gas from underground shale oil reserves is causing untold damage to nearby aquifers.  According to the EPA’s report on the situation near Pavillion, Wyoming, the protective casing around the fracking production wells, with the exception of two, “do not extend below the maximum depth of domestic wells in the area of investigation” (DiGiulio xi).  This leaves all locally-drawn groundwater susceptible to contamination from fracking fluids, many of which are carcinogens.  To add insult to injury, “at least 33 surface pits previously used for storage/disposal of drilling wastes...and flowback waters are present in the area” (DiGiulio xi).  This means that even if impermeable rock layers isolating fracking sites from the aquifers hold fast, contaminated water could still percolate down from surface contamination.   

As a further testament to the irresponsibility of fracking companies, they typically claim that hydrologic pressure naturally forces fracking liquids down, though “some of the findings in the [EPA’s] report also directly contradict [these] longstanding arguments by the drilling industry for why the fracking process is safe” (Lustgarten par. 6).  In fact, the EPA identified that “hydrologic pressure in the Pavillion area had pushed fluids from deeper geologic layers towards the surface” (Lustgarten par. 20).  Senior policy analyst at the Natural Resources Defense Council, Amy Mall, has even gone as far as to make the bold statement that “no one can accurately say that there is ‘no risk’ where fracking is concerned” (Lustgarten par. 8).  

Problems with fracking were first identified, at least in the Pavillion area, in the mid-1990s, yet the process has continued in operation since then.  Some companies have been responsible enough in the past to provide replacement drinking water to affected residents (Lustgarten par. 10), yet the more common trend is to encourage residents to not “drink their water and ventilate their homes when they bathed because the methane in the water could cause an explosion” (Lustgarten par. 11).  This blatant disrespect for the well-being of the public would be considered an outrage in most parts of the world and especially so in a developed nation such as the United States.

The fact that this issue is receiving a lot of headline attention, especially in North Carolina, is at least comforting in a small way because it implies that people are growing more aware and more concerned about the health of the environment.  Nevertheless, businesses looking to make profit do not give the well-being of natural areas as much priority as private citizens.  Only through government actions based on investigations conducted by agencies such as the EPA, as well as through persistent legislative lobbying by concerned citizens, can significant changes be made in striving for a safer world.

 Works Cited

DiGiulio, Dominic C., Richard T. Wilkin, Carlyle Miller, and Gregory Oberley. "Investigation of Ground Water Contamination near Pavillion, Wyoming." EPA (2011): n. pag. Web. 28 Sept. 2012. <http://www.epa.gov/region8/superfund/wy/pavillion/EPA_Report OnPavillion_Dec-8-2011.pdf>.  

Lustgarten, Abrahm, and Nicholas Kusnetz. "EPA: Natural Gas Fracking Linked to Water Contamination." Scientific American. 09 Dec 2011: n. page. Web. 28 Sep. 2012. <http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=fracking-linked-water-contamination-federal-agency>.

The Ecopedagogical Manifesto

How does one go about “correcting” a problem, which refuses to identify itself as a problem?  In the case of environmental education in society, also known as bioregional literacy, Richard Kahn would have society creak out of its capitalistic bonds and rise in support of an equal Marxist society with schools whose primary focus in education is the environment and the well-being thereof.  Kahn asserts that “...education remains a primary institution towards affecting social and ecological change for the better...and so it deserves to be fought for” (18), and punctuates the thought with a direct challenge to the reader: “What will you do?” (18).

To answer that question, the current educational system must be altered, but not necessarily destroyed, as Kahn would have it.  Kahn’s ideas stem from the belief that public schools are not broken, they were made this way, designed to propagate capitalist ideas and destroy the environment for profit.  In order to create a non-stratified society with a healthy environment, particular emphasis must be placed on cooperation at an early age, and not so much on competition.  If students of all ages can work together on common goals for the greater good, without worrying about getting ahead of the next kid or gaining as much personal benefit as possible, most of the worlds problems would solve themselves.  Unfortunately, to err is to be human and it is for that reason that this idea, and especially the characteristics it borrows from communism, could never hope to succeed in the real world.

On the other hand, one of the most effective ways to overcome a weakness is to change it into a strength.  By grabbing the capitalist bull by the horns and forcing students to compete for better and more efficient solutions to certain problems, the world actually sees more innovation than it would without the psychological cattle prod of competition.  In order to avoid a massive pillaging of all the world’s resources for the sake of pure competition and unregulated business, students must be taught at an early age to respect and treasure the environment.  Religions that place nature above the individual, such as Shintoism, must be promoted and practiced in schools; this would not violate moral conflicts with practicing religion in schools because the current version of the “Pledge of Allegiance” still contains the word “God,” though students are often permitted to leave out this word if they so choose.  Certain elements of the Bible used as literary references of historical records are still taught and analyzed in classes.  In the same manner, students may choose not to participate in any Shinto ceremonies, but they will be obligated to learn and respect the beliefs and principles behind the religion, specifically those pertaining to nature and not necessarily the more spiritual ones.  Regardless, a deeper and stronger respect for the environment must be embedded in societal cultures.  Students must also be formally taught about different aspects of the environment, ranging from items which should be common knowledge, in order to increase bioregional literacy, to more technical knowledge such as the sciences, so that the human impact made on the environment can be lessened.

To err is to be human and no plan of action, regardless of the level of perfection, could ever fully address such a widespread and deeply-ingrained issue; ecopedagogy is but a single potential solution and this essay examines but a single possible implementation thereof.  “What will you do?” (18).

Works Cited

Kahn, Richard. "The Educative Potential of Ecological Militancy in an Age of Big Oil: Towards a Marcusean Ecopedagogy." Policy Futures in Education 4.1 (2006): 31. Web. 24 Sept. 2012. <http://richardkahn.org/writings/ecopedagogy/towardsecopedagogy.pdf>.

Environmental Visual Rhetoric

This picture was retrieved from http://loveplantlife.com/2010/07/before-its-too-late/ It is an example of visual rhetoric, meaning that it "emphasizes images as sensory expressions of cultural meaning, as opposed to purely aesthetic consideration" (Wikipedia).  This image in particular depicts a forest experiencing deforestation, but the pattern of the lungs emphasizes that deforestation of the world's last forested areas, particularly the rainforests, will impact the individual in terms of the overall air quality and subsequent health complications.  This picture, obviously created or edited on a computer, is just one example of how technology is being used to help provoke environmental action.  This image can then be spread through blogs or other social media, allowing the WWF to gain notoriety, thereby increasing the awareness that the environment needs help "before it's too late."

The Chelonian Key, or Turtle Island - Part Trois

Themes in five more of Snyder's poems in Turtle Island:

The Way West, Underground
Snyder once again criticizes the society of man for having wiped out bears from Europe.  Snyder speaks very positively of cultures which have embraced, accepted, or are dependent on bears.  This is apparent by how Snyder lists "netting, trapping" alongside "singing holding hands, the while" when describing the Finns (Snyder 5).  Snyder also fantasizes about an uprising of bears "with automatic guns" that reverse the evolution of man drives us back into caves.  Obviously Snyder believes in the constitutional right to arm bears.

Spell Against Demons
Here Snyder pretty clearly lashes out against the violent tendencies of man, arguing that "the man who has the soul of the wolf/ knows the self-restraint/ of the wolf" (Snyder 16).  Snyder explains that though nature also exhibits violence, it is both necessary and restrained, unlike the "aimless executions and slaughterings" (Snyder 16) of man.  There are a few typos in this poem, presumably for some unknown purpose of Gary Snyder's; his "spel" (Snyder 17) at the end appears again in his "Smokey the Bear Sutra," where it is translated as: "I dedicate myself to the universal diamond/ Be this raging fury be destroyed."

Gen
This is another of Snyder's poems where he very closely unites his own family with nature, and describes breastfeeding in such a way that it attains an almost spiritual significance: "eyes over dippy nipple/ at the rising shadow sun/ whales of cool and dark" (Snyder 74), relating this action to that which is undertaken by every mammal on the planet, non-human or otherwise.

Toward Climax
The evolution of humans is described intricately and in such a way that society very closely resembles a natural entity, but then man "forget[s] wild plants, their virtues/ lose[s] dream-time/ lose[s] largest size of brain" (Snyder 83), thereby emphasizing that humans were a part of nature, but we went against the natural order and wasted our potential.

Avocado
By comparing the Dharma, or the principle of cosmic order, to an avocado, through his simile in the first line of the poem, Snyder illustrates how humans have a pure "Original Nature" (Snyder 61), which he equates to the avocado seed, but "almost nobody ever splits it open/ or ever tries to see/ if it will grow" (Snyder 61), again hinting at the wasted potential of society; "it looks like/ you should plant it--but then/ it shoots out thru the/ fingers--/ gets away" (Snyder 61).

 Snyder, Gary. Turtle Island. New York: New Directions, 1974. Print.

On the Isle of Reptiles, or Turtle Island - Part Deux

In discussing Snyder’s poetry, as found in Turtle Island, it became apparent that Snyder wrote his work over the course of about twenty years, and he put much thought and meaning into his short poems.  This requires the reader to read slowly and carefully, noting evoked emotions in addition to the words on the page.  Though initially published in 1969, the words Snyder embalmed within his book have just as much, if not more, meaning today than they did when he wrote them down.  Common themes include being critical of humans, being envious of nature, and wanting both humans and nature to better coexist.

The following are interpretations of the themes found in five more of Snyder’s poems.

Night Herons

Here Snyder depicts humans as disruptors of nature, much as he does in most of his writings: Humans “drive salt water/ into the city’s veins” to combat the natural occurrences of earthquakes and fires (Snyder 35); a dog trespasses only when being led by a human; a prison rusts and rots.  On the other hand, herons peacefully nest; a “part-wolf dog” follows his “buddy” (Snyder 35); “god-like birds [flutter]” (Snyder 35).  People have made this a “noisy place on the bay” (Snyder 36), so “how could the/ night herons ever come back” (Snyder 36)?

The Uses of Light

Here, Snyder presents the theme of necessity, the necessary item being sunlight.  Snyder personifies rocks, trees, and deer in order to compare their spectrum of uses for light with ours, our light being predominantly electrical.  The different parts of nature each gain certain benefits from the sun, without hindering the ability of another part of nature to receive other benefits.  This effectively glorifies the might of perpetual solar energy, which reaches just about every bioregion, when compared to fossil fuels, which hurt natural processes (and even blot out the sun with smog!) for the benefit of a single species (Snyder 39).

Magpie’s Song

A sense of hope reverberates through the lines of Snyder’s “Magpie’s Song” as the bird reminds readers to remain optimistic about the future.  Though its tree is surrounded by “excavation,” “trucks,” and “coyotes” (Snyder 69), the magpie imagines blue skies and snowy hills that remain ever-snowy, regardless of changes in climate.  Though contrasting with Snyder’s predominant attitude toward what’s happening to the environment, this poem, still serves to effect change and encourage thoughts of blue skies and fresh air.

The Dazzle

In this poem, Snyder accuses humans of being dazed and seduced by the majesty of nature, but in such a way that leads to neglect and abuse.  The human population “divides itself, divides, and divides again” (Snyder 65), meaning it reproduces excessively, later using pollen and the word “grope” to emphasize this point.  Snyder also reveals that “the roots are at work./ unseen” (Snyder 65), implying that humans are incapable or unwilling to see the effects of their actions and carry on as if there were none, blinded by “the dazzle” (Snyder 65).

What Happened Here Before

Once again, humans are accused of disrupting the will of nature.  There is one different detail in this poem, however: “the white man” (Snyder 79) is singled out exclusively as the culprit.  The Earth formed in such a way that gave it both diversity and wealth, “gold” (Snyder 78) being mentioned three times before the first mention of “human people” (Snyder 79).  The first settlers are described as having lived alongside nature, making their own existence as the animals had.  The white man, on the contrary, “tossed up trees and/ boulders with big hoses,/ going after that old gravel and the gold./…pistol-shooting, churches, county jail” (Snyder 79).  The white man, being the last inhabitant to arrive, took all that he could, including what was not his and what could not be anyone’s.

Snyder, Gary. Turtle Island. New York: New Directions, 1974. Print.

Turtle Island

The following are interpretations of a couple of Gary Snyder’s poems in Turtle Island, with special attention given to theme.


Coyote Valley Spring
    Snyder examines the subtle movements of nature: animals rustling in the wood, rocks crumbling, and mud hardening, using very basic diction, save a few foreign words presumably in a Native American language, to emphasize the natural simplicity of existence.  The processes of nature are described simply as they are, whereas the only mention of humans appears as “a lost people” who merely “float” (Snyder 15).

The Bath
    Snyder depicts his family bathing together in a sauna, listing every detail, sensation, and observation with nothing to hide, much as would be seen in the open natural world.  The family is united by the repeated statement: “this is our body” (Snyder 13-14), and its members are contented merely with the presence of one another, simply “Laughing on the Great Earth” (Snyder 14).  This simplicity through nature seems to be the ultimate realization for humans, according to Snyder.

Steak
    In this poem, Snyder describes steak with a theme of peculiarity, as if something is a little off.  Snyder mentions a “disney cow” and also, in the same stanza, describes a steak as “bloody sliced muscle” (Snyder 10).  In the next stanza, Snyder appears to criticize how the local Chamber of Commerce supports foreign livestock in his describing of the animal nutrition expert as wearing “Denver suits,” being “Japanese-American,” coming from “Kansas,” and having “Buddhist beads,” despite eating at a steakhouse (Snyder 10).  In fact, everything in this poem seems to be amiss in some aspect except for the “early morning prairie sky” and the cows that have “rhythm”; the peculiar segment of this stanza describes human actions: “the ripped-off land” (Snyder 10).

For the Children
    This poem metaphorically describes a population growth chart as a hill.  “The slopes,/ of statistics” show population “going up” as “we,” meaning society, “go down” (Snyder 86).  Snyder speaks optimistically of reaching a valley “in peace/ if we make it,” thereby alluding to his belief in population control.  He wraps the entire message in a hopeful bundle with his advice: “stay together/ learn the flowers/ go light” (Snyder 86).

Two Fawns That Didn’t See the Light This Spring
    Here, Snyder scolds society with a general theme of carelessness.  Both scenes depict seemingly-common accidents, the individuals therein taking seemingly-responsible actions by not letting the does go to waste, yet both individuals are still to blame for the accidental deaths of not just two, but four deer.


Snyder, Gary. Turtle Island. New York: New Directions, 1974. Print.