6/28/10

New Movie.. Gasland


I just heard about this movie that came out titled Gasland
I live in upstate NY and there has recently been a lot of talk about drilling private property for natural gas, If we have a natural resource on our property, doesn't sound too bad to make some money off of it, right? well, it looks like there's more to the story...

It's been called "Fracking". It's defined on wikipedia as-

"Hydraulic fracturing is a process that results in the creation of fractures in rocks. This petroleum engineering method has been used over the past 60 years (though high-volume horizontal processes are much more recent) in more than one million wells by the worldwide natural gas and oil exploration and production industry to create fractures that extend from a wellbore drilled into targeted rock formations to enhance oil and natural gas recovery.

Hydraulic fractures may be natural or man-made and are extended by internal fluid pressure which opens the fracture and causes it to grow into the rock. Man-made fluid-driven fractures are formed at depth in a borehole and extend into targeted rock formations. The fracture width is typically maintained after the injection by introducing a proppant into the injected fluid. Proppant is a material, such as grains of sand, ceramic, or other particulates, that prevent the fractures from closing when the injection is stopped. The method is informally called fracing or hydrofracing.
Considerable controversy surrounds the current implementation of hydraulic fracturing technology in the United States. Significant environmental safety and health concerns have emerged and are being debated at the state and national levels."

Read more on-
http://gaslandthemovie.com/whats-fracking

The main concern of it all is the fracking fluid that is used. The ingredients in the chemical fluid is undisclosed but is known to cause many health risks as well as become contaminates to drinking wells.

"The same chemicals used in fracking have been found contaminating the precious drinking water supply in rural areas across the United States, and with many harmful results. In some cases chemical compounds, those of most concern being adamantes and 2-BE, have been found in streams, springs and water wells that provide for neighboring towns. These compounds are not only dangerous to ingest, but they're potentially volatile. In one case, a house exploded after hydraulic fracturing created underground passageways and methane leaked into the residential water supply."

http://blog.buzzflash.com/greenisgood/007

The movie gasland shows how this is polluting wells and causing health problems all over the U.S. Some homes even have water from their faucets that can be lit on fire.
Please help me and my state to pass a moratorium on this happening until we can understand the risks of this environmental issue
Click HERE

More reading-

http://www.ewg.org/drillingaroundthelaw


http://www.earthworksaction.org/LOguidechapters.cfm

http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/06/21/21greenwire-in-fracking-debate-disclosure-is-in-the-eye-of-19087.html

http://www.vanityfair.com/business/features/2010/06/fracking-in-pennsylvania-201006

http://www.newsweek.com/2008/08/19/a-toxic-spew.html

http://www.endocrinedisruption.com/home.php

6/8/10

What is the Dispersant Corexit?

There are many people now trying to figure out what this mystery chemical dispersant that BP is using to make the oil "Disappear", as if that's possible.
It's called Corexit.
Corexit is being sprayed on top of the water to disperse the oil below the surface.
Out of sight, out of mind, right? "Corexit is a neurotoxin pesticide that is acutely toxic to both human and aquatic life, causes cancer, causes damage to internal organs such as the liver and kidneys simply by absorbing it through the skin and may cause reproductive side effects" Harmless? Doesn't sound like it.. Read more..

EPA orders BP to Cut back Dispersant

The Amount Of Neurotoxin Pesticide Corexit Sprayed By BP Tops 1 Million Gallons

So I started thinking, maybe we should read about what happened after the Exxon Valdez spill..

Lessons from the Exxon Valdez spill

Chemicals Present Environmental Concerns


6/3/10

My Body Trio Picks



Anti-Bug Balm
By Badger..This nice handy balm comes in a small tin, you can fit anywhere! I garden a lot, so this is the perfect remedy for those pesky insects to steer clear! The fresh citronella scent is lovely and certified organic.. Lather me up!



Peaceful Patchouli Moisturizer By Kiss My Face..OOh I particularly love this Scent..Yum! It is a nice light moisturizer that is quickly absorbed into the skin with a light scent. This is my favorite, but all the scents are all wonderful.. Nice to put on after those cool showers!

Traditional Gardenia Oil
By Yves Rocher...I love this scent, It smells wonderfully tropical! I use this in my hair in the summer. Besides smelling great, It adds beautiful highlights and moisture on those hot n dry days.

6/1/10

Movie to watch- End of the LIne

In honor of the Etsy Earth Team who is devoting their June blog posts to the Ocean,
My movie to watch is
The End of the Line


This Documentary focuses on the issue of fishing and overfishing in our seas. They predict that by 2048, the sea life as we know it will be diminished. The movie showcases how the consumer can take responsibility and make conscious changes in the way we eat and purchase fish.

If you eat fish, you need to see this!

An excerpt taken from the website says-

"The End of the Line, the first major feature documentary film revealing the impact of overfishing on our oceans, had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in the World Cinema Documentary Competition. Sundance took place in Park City, Utah, January 15-25, 2009.

In the film we see firsthand the effects of our global love affair with fish as food.

It examines the imminent extinction of bluefin tuna, brought on by increasing western demand for sushi; the impact on marine life resulting in huge overpopulation of jellyfish; and the profound implications of a future world with no fish that would bring certain mass starvation.

Filmed over two years, The End of the Line follows the investigative reporter Charles Clover as he confronts politicians and celebrity restaurateurs, who exhibit little regard for the damage they are doing to the oceans.

One of his allies is the former tuna farmer turned whistleblower Roberto Mielgo – on the trail of those destroying the world's magnificent bluefin tuna population.

Filmed across the world – from the Straits of Gibraltar to the coasts of Senegal and Alaska to the Tokyo fish market – featuring top scientists, indigenous fishermen and fisheries enforcement officials, The End of the Line is a wake-up call to the world."