Meet the frackers

Summary

Spreading out beneath the suburbs of Dallas, the underground deposit known as the Barnett Shale promises vast oil and gas riches. This program follows the efforts of Texas developers as they stampe...

Spreading out beneath the suburbs of Dallas, the underground deposit known as the Barnett Shale promises vast oil and gas riches. This program follows the efforts of Texas developers as they stampede for a piece of the action, even as local residents and environmental activists raise major objections. Liberating the bounty below calls for fracking--a controversial process in which huge quantities of water and chemicals are injected underground, shattering rock and releasing gas and oil. The film also examines other states where fracking is taking place, such as North Dakota, where farmer Jacki Schilke insists that frackers "are here to rape this land." Viewers are given a wide-ranging look at the pros and cons of what is touted as a major step toward America's independence from foreign oil.

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