GASLAND

Here's a news release from Genesee Community College:

Hailed as "...one of the most effective and expressive environmental films of recent years" by Variety magazine, the documentary film "GASLAND," will be presented by the Genesee Community College Earth Club at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 27 and at 5 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 28.

"GASLAND" is a 2010 documentary film written and directed by Josh Fox. It focuses on communities in the United States impacted by natural gas drilling and, specifically, a stimulation method known as "hydraulic fracturing."

The film will be shown in T102 and is free and open to the public.

Hydraulic fracturing (also called "frac jobs" or "fracking") is a process that results in the creation of fractures in rocks. The most important industrial use is in stimulating oil and gas wells, where hydraulic fracturing has been used for several years.

The fracturing is done from a wellbore drilled into reservoir rock formations to increase the rate and ultimate recovery of oil and natural gas.

Hydraulic fractures may be natural or man-made and are extended by internal fluid pressure which opens the fracture and causes it to extend through the rock. Natural hydraulic fractures include volcanic dikes, sills and fracturing by ice as in frost weathering.

Man-made fluid-driven fractures are formed at depth in a borehole and extend into targeted 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.

Considerable controversy surrounds the current implementation of hydraulic fracturing technology in the United States. Environmental safety and health concerns have emerged and are being debated at the state and national levels.

"GASLAND" follows filmmaker Josh Fox when he is asked to lease his land for drilling, as he embarks on a cross-country odyssey uncovering a trail of secrets, lies and contamination.

He encounters a Pennsylvania town and reports that residents are able to light their drinking water on fire. This is just one of the many absurd and astonishing revelations of this documentary.

For more information please visit www.gaslandthemovie.com <http://www.gaslandthemovie.com>.

"New York State recently passed a temporary moratorium on the hydro-fracking process while the EPA completes its study, so this is very important and contemporary topic to our community," said Donna Rae Sutherland, advisor to the GCC Earth Club.

"The Earth Club students wanted to show the movie at two different times and days to ensure any local resident or community college student had a chance to watch the film, which is currently impacting Pennsylvania communities just over the state line and promises to be a topic of significant debate in the Southern Tier."

For further information please contact Sutherland at 343-0055, ext. 6616, or e-mail <http://dsutherland@genesee.edu>.