Energy politics tend to have a socially galvanizing effect. In production zones, big industrial producers promise massive social incentives to locals who are forced to juggle the often conflicting concerns of environmental conservation and economic prosperity. What were once tight-knit societies are finding themselves divided over concerns for their land, water and air.
Nowhere is this narrative more harrowingly played out than in the rural towns of America, suddenly rich with an abundance of unconventional gas. Both a blessing and a curse, these communities are discovering what the gas drilling boom brings in its wake, beyond promises of wealth.
EnergyNOW! has produced a special video report, set within the drilling rigs of the Marcellus Shale, to see how fracking and unconventional gas production have affected the small town of Bradford County, Pennsylvania. Chief correspondent Tyler Suiters interviews residents, industry representatives, state officials, including former PA Environmental Secretary John Hangar, and independent experts, including Dr. Anthony Ingraffea, to tackle relevant issues from local economics to water contamination.
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