"Based upon our review of hundreds of Colorado gas samples over many years, the COGCC is able to differentiate between biogenic and thermogenic methane using both stable isotope analysis of the methane and compositional analysis of the gas. In the Denver-Julesburg and Piceance Basins, the COGCC has consistently found that biogenic gas contains only methane and a very small amount of ethane, while thermogenic gas contains not just methane and ethane but also heavier hydrocarbons such as propane, butane, pentane, and hexanes. As explained below, Gasland incorrectly attributes several cases of water well contamination in Colorado to oil and gas development when our investigations determined that the wells in question contained biogenic methane that is not attributable to such development. "
There were actually several real cases of contamination in that report as well, so it's not exactly exonerating the industry. But it does seems like some bad science in the film.
Unfortunately that's often what you get when someone sets out to expose a topic via film. It's an easy medium rely on striking images rather than science and statistics.
For the first time, a scientific study has linked natural gas drilling and hydraulic fracturing with a pattern of drinking water contamination so severe that some faucets can be lit on fire.
In active gas-extraction areas (one or more gas wells within 1 km), average and maximum methane concentrations in drinking-water wells increased with proximity to the nearest gas well and were 19.2 and 64 mg CH4 L−1 (n 1⁄4 26), a potential explosion hazard; in contrast, dissolved methane samples in neigh- boring nonextraction sites (no gas wells within 1 km) within similar geologic formations and hydrogeologic regimes averaged only 1.1 mg L−1 (P < 0.05; n 1⁄4 34).
The geology in Pennsylvania and New York, they said, is tectonically active with faults and other pathways through the rock. They noted that leaky well casings were the most likely cause of the contamination but couldn't rule out long-range underground migration, which they said "might be possible due to both the extensive fracture systems reported for these formations and the many older, uncased wells drilled and abandoned [9]."
In an interview, Jackson said that gas was more likely to migrate underground than liquid chemicals. Based on his findings, he doesn't believe the toxic chemicals pumped into the ground during fracturing are likely to end up in water supplies the same way the methane did. "I'm not ready to use the word impossible," he said, "but unlikely."
According to the UK's Food Standards Agency, "Consumers may choose to buy organic fruit, vegetables and meat because they believe them to be more nutritious than other food. However, the balance of current scientific evidence does not support this view."[31] A 12-month systematic review commissioned by the FSA in 2009 and conducted at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine based on 50 years' worth of collected evidence concluded that "there is no good evidence that consumption of organic food is beneficial to health in relation to nutrient content."[32] Other studies have found no proof that organic food offers greater nutritional values, more consumer safety or any distinguishable difference in taste.[33][34][35][36] A recent review of nutrition claims showed that organic food proponents are unreliable information sources which harm consumers, and that consumers are wasting their money if they buy organic food believing that it contains better nutrients.[37]
Although it is commonly claimed that organically grown food tastes better than conventionally grown food, reviews of the literature that looked at the sensory qualities of the two have not found convincing evidence that there is any significant differences.[28][27]
Organic food tastes great!
It's common sense — well-balanced soils produce strong, healthy plants that become nourishing food for people and animals.
Unfortunately that's often what you get when someone sets out to expose a topic via film. It's an easy medium rely on striking images rather than science and statistics.
But, was it from fracking? Even last month the EPA said there are no confirmed cases of Fracking affecting groundwater.