The documentary "Gasland" has been nominated for an Academy Award and the oil and gas industry is not pleased about it. An industry group recently sent a letter to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences claiming that the many factual errors in the film should rule it ineligible for best documentary.
I have not seen the film, but plan to. My view is that hopefully this controversy will help create a constructive national conversation about the pros and cons of shale gas extraction and the hydraulic fracturing method. What are the benefits to reducing our dependence on foreign oil? How much cleaner burning is this fossil fuel then petroleum? How clean is natural gas compared to renewable energy sources like wind, solar and geothermal? What are the health and environmental consequences of unregulated drilling? Is it contaminating the water supply? Do we need more government regulations and oversight of industry so they have clear safety guidelines?
Obviously there have been lots of questions generated by this film. Click here for the link to the Greenwire story on the Oscar controversy and watch a preview of "Gasland" below.
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