Fracking Contamination

The Environmental Protection Agency found contaminants in the groundwater near Pavillion, Wyoming. IN the contaminants they found at least ten compounds that are known to be used in frack fluids. These findings are most likely going to shape how the government regulates and obtains natural has resources in that area.

            There has been an argument with the drilling industry for years about whether or not the fracking process is safe for the environment and the people that live near these drilling sites. These new findings allowed for the government to argue for stronger regulation of fracking. The residents in the Pavillion area began complaining about the odor and the brownish color of the water. The EPA took water samples and found the contaminants that are linked to fracking. To validate these findings, EPA investigators drilled two water-monitoring wells. The results from these two wells confirmed the water samples that were previously taken.  Investigators also conducted research on the cement walls that were meant to protect the well bore. They discovered that these cement barriers had become weakened and separated from the well. This caused leakage into the ground.  The company that lead the drilling operation would not provide the EPA with the exact chemicals that they used in fracking. This makes them look even more suspicious because if they truly believed that their operation was not causing the contamination, then they would release a list of the chemicals that they use in their process.

            In my opinion, this drilling company, EnCana, is completely responsible for the pollution in the groundwater in Pavillion. The EPA has acquired enough of results and evidence that link the compounds of the pollution directly to the fracking process. Being that they are the only operation in the area that frack, EnCana is the culprits. 

Richard Kahn

Robert Kahn stresses the need for ecopedagogy in schools. I agree with this statement. A stronger background in environmental studies would make many people realize the problems that the world has created. Robert Kahn gives examples of movements and programs for environmental education that have failed or lost their focus. These attempts at improving environmental education in schools have not made any changes in the way people had been living or treating the environment.  The world is in dire need of a new generation of human beings that have been thoroughly educated in the problems of the environment and ways to repair the damage that has been acquired over the years.

A way to motivate students to become educated in the environment and ways to improve it is to create more jobs with that field of study. Most students look at how easy it is to get a job in a field of study before anything else. The easier the job placement is, the more students there will be that would become interested in that line of work. The world needs more companies that dedicate their research to environmental improvements instead of having big companies trying to make themselves more efficient and “eco-friendly”. Agricultural programs in school should have more funding. With more funding, the teachers will have more resources to provide the students with hands on learning experiences. This is what makes students become active in a field of study. When they can experience the problem first hand and realize the impact that it has, students will work harder and smarter to develop ways to solve the problem at hand. This is what needs to happen in order to boost education in schools that is focused toward the environment and nature. 

Sept. 14 Turtle Island Post

In some of Snyder's poems he really targets hunters and their ethics. In a poem titled "Two Fawns That Didn't See The Light This Spring", he highlighted how hunters made poor choices and killed animals that were not supposed to be killed. If poor decision making becomes a common occurrence in hunting,   then eventually most animals will become endangered or extinct. I agree with Snyder when he attacks unethical hunting practices; however, hunting that is done correctly is better for the environment in the long run than no hunting at all. It keeps population numbers down that would otherwise be outrageous because some animals do not have any natural predators. I have also noticed that a lot of Snyder's poems are talking about places or people that are overseas. Many of the names and places that Snyder mentions in his poems seem to be African names. This leads me to think that either Snyder has spent a lot of time in foreign countries and this is where he felt more connected to, or these are the places that he is most concerned about in terms or environmentalism.

Gary Snyder's Themes

     In one of Snyder's poems he talks about how so many animals are getting killed by vehicles on the highways. If these highways were not so abundant or so intrusive of the wildlife's natural habitat then this problem would not be occurring. Invading our wildlife's habitats are one of the main causes of why some species are becoming endangered. Snyder talks about how he has never seen a specific animal until he seen it dead on the side of a road. This is not the way our nature should be depicted.
     In a lot of Snyder's poems, he describes nature. He describes how the animals act and then how people interfere. It is very obvious how that Snyder has a deep appreciation of nature and the environment. It is also obvious that Snyder sees a problem with humans interfering with the wildlife and their natural environment.