FILM and Discussion: Gasland
Come watch and discuss this Oscar-nominated documentary on the booming business of ‘fracking’ for natural gas in the USA. As ‘fracking’ has now begun in Switzerland, France, and the UK as well, it is doubly relevant to DA Switzerland. ‘Fracking’ is heavily promoted by the industry as a major step forward in reducing our dependence on unreliable energy supplies and suppliers, while the same industry and its scientists export their new technology globally, and refuse to acknowledge the environmental hazards. Yet according to a new study by Dr. Robert Howarth of Cornell, 'the total impact of the shale gas industry may be worse than coal'. The industry’s ferocious attacks on its Oscar nomination produced its own blowback: creating a wider audience for the film and wider discussion of the crucial issues involved.
Join in with hosts Democrats Abroad Switzerland and the Sierra Club!
From the film website: http://www.gaslandthemovie.com,
"The largest domestic natural gas drilling boom in history has swept across the United States. The Halliburton-developed drilling technology of 'fracking' or hydraulic fracturing has unlocked a 'Saudi Arabia of natural gas' just beneath us. But is fracking safe? When filmmaker Josh Fox is asked to lease his land for drilling, he embarks on a cross-country odyssey uncovering a trail of secrets, lies and contamination. A recently-drilled nearby Pennsylvania town reports that residents are able to light their drinking water on fire. This is just one of the many absurd and astonishing revelations of a new country called GASLAND. Part verité travelogue, part exposé, part mystery, part bluegrass banjo meltdown, part showdown.”
Afterwards join us for a discussion led by Mark Pasquesi from the DA Geneva and Sierra Club Fracking team.
Read the reviews in the Observer
or the Sierra Club
Date: Monday, Dec 5th
Time: 8:00 pm (Doors Open at 7:00 pm)
Location: Spoutnik, 4 place des Volontaires, Geneva
Cinema Entrance : 11 rue de la Coulouvrenière, 1st Floor
Cinema Entrance : 11 rue de la Coulouvrenière, 1st Floor
Cost: Free Admission (Donations for Sierra Club welcome to cover costs)
Schedule:
7:00 Doors open (drinks available for purchase, cash only)
7:00-7:45 Discussion and collection of signatures for petitions
7:45 Introduction by Green Peace Switzerland
8:00 Gasland (107 minutes, in English with French subtitles)
Followed by Open Discussion led by DA Geneva and Sierra Club Member Mark Pasquesi
Please feel free to stay until 11 pm for more conversation and flaming drinks!!
Notes on speaker:
Mathias Schlegel, Climate et Energie representative, Greenpeace Suisse Romande.
Mark Pasquesi agrees with Robert F Kennedy, Jr:
'Superb investigative journalism by the New York Times has brought the paper under attack by the natural gas industry. That campaign of intimidation and obfuscation has been orchestrated by top shelf players like Exxon and Chesapeake aligned with the industry's worst bottom feeders.'
Mark has only praises for the whistle-blowers who made these documents available to the public: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/02/27/us/natural-gas-documents-1-intro.html
and he recommends this NY Times video report from the series Drilling Down:
Mark also endorses the following statement by the Sierra Club:
'The Sierra Club supports ending the regulatory loopholes that exempt the gas industry from key parts of landmark environmental and health laws, including:
• Clean Water Act
• Clean Air Act
• Safe Drinking Water Act
• National Environmental Policy Act
• Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
• Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act
• Toxic Release Inventory under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act
The Sierra Club is committed to moving the nation to a clean energy future powered by solar, wind and other truly clean energy sources and to eliminate the use of the dirtiest fossil fuels like oil and coal by 2030. And if we can't protect our communities and treasured landscapes from the damages caused by the natural gas industry, then we should not drill for natural gas.'
TPG: Rue de Stand
Trams 13, 14, 15, 16
From the Rue de Stand stop, walk away from the city center on Rue de Stand towards Jonction. Turn right at Rue du Tir, then left onto Rue de la Coulouvrenière. You should see a lit Black/White sign for Spoutnik on the right hand side. Take the stairs to the first floor...
If you are interested in reading more about fracking, you will find additional links to recommended articles on our website: http://www.democratsabroad.org/node/14089
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