Ohio Fracktion
About 20 residents of Trumbull County, OH and surrounding areas gathered in prayer May 19 at a newly operating fracking wastewater injection well in Vienna Township.
According to event organizers from Ohio Fracktion, the service was designed “to pay respects to those who have died of cancer, who are experiencing neurological damage, who have chronic lesions on their skin, who have lost the ability to have children, and whose water has been poisoned by drilling chemicals or are forced to breathe the toxic airborne byproducts of hydrofracking.” This gathering was held in solidarity with a national Day of Direct Action Against Extraction, and one of a series of events building momentum for the largest action against fracking in the country’s history, scheduled for June 17 in Columbus, OH.
Reverend Monica Beasley-Martin of Liberty Township delivered a sermon at the well, leading residents in prayer and song. The Reverend spoke to humankind's Biblical responsibility to act as guardians of the earth, and decried fracking and other forms of extraction: “We are allowing such things as tar sands extraction, off shore drilling, mountain top removal, and hydraulic fracturing, which is becoming increasingly popular locally, to destroy both the earth God created and one another.”
The Vienna well is one of more than 170 injection wells in Ohio receiving toxic fracking wastewater from as far away as Texas. Five injection wells in the Youngstown area have been shut down in the wake of a dozen earthquakes that were caused by injection at D&L’s Ohio Works Drive Well, including a 4.0 New Year’s Eve tremor. The Ohio Division of Natural Resources (ODNR) concluded that injection of fracking waste was the cause of these quakes. Reverend Beasley-Martin spoke to the earthquakes in her sermon: “The definition of insanity is to continue doing the same things, over and over, and over again, while expecting different results. What have these earthquakes taught the Ohio Department of Natural Resources? Apparently, absolutely nothing, because here we stand, at the site of yet another injection well, that ODNR insanely granted permission to be built.”
Fracking has been linked to cases of water contamination in towns across the country including Dimock, PA and Pavillion, WY, and methane emissions from drilling were the cause of a 2007 home explosion in Bainbridge, OH. The gas industry is exempted from the Clean Water Act and Safer Drinking Water Act, and as a result, many of the chemicals used in drilling are unknown. On May 15, the Ohio State Senate approved industry-backed legislation that would gag doctors from sharing information about patients’ exposure to hydrofracking chemicals.
Residents who attended the service explained that they were concerned about impending development of fracking and injection wells near their homes and are committed to taking action to stop fracking. “We are here because we refuse to be a sacrifice zone,” said John Williams, 55, of McDonald, OH. “Companies like BP and Chesapeake depend on treating Ohio as their personal dump to keep their toxic operations running. It's time for all of us to stand up and say no to poisoned water, polluted air and man-made earthquakes.”
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Here are three new films to watch this Earth Week that will transport you from pole to pole and introduce you to the scientists and activists working to save our shared home.
1. The Year Earth Changed
Where to Watch: Apple TV+
When to Watch: From April 16
The coronavirus pandemic has brought home the stakes of humanity's impact on the environment. But the lockdowns also proved how quickly nature can recover when humans give it the space. Birds sang in empty cities, whales surfaced in Glacier Bay and capybara roamed the South American suburbs.
The Year Earth Changed captures this unique year with footage from more than 30 lockdowned cities between May 2020 to January 2021. Narrated by renowned wildlife broadcaster David Attenborough, the film explores what positive lessons we can take from the experience of a quieter, less trafficked world.
"What the film shows is that the natural world can bounce back remarkably quickly when we take a step back and reduce our impact as we did during lockdown," executive producer Alice Keens-Soper of BBC Studios Natural History Unit told EcoWatch. "If we are willing to make even small changes to our habits, the natural world can flourish. We need to learn how to co-exist with nature and understand that we are not separate from it- for example if we closed some of our beaches at for a few weeks during the turtle breeding we see that it can make a huge difference to their success. There are many ways that we can adapt our behavior to allow the natural world to thrive as it did in lockdown."
2. After Antarctica
Where to Watch: San Francisco International Film Festival
When to Watch: 12 a.m. PST April 9 to 11:59 p.m. April 18
In 1989, Will Steger led an international team of six scientists and explorers to be the first humans to cross Antarctica by dogsled. Steger and his team weren't just in it for the adventure. They also wanted to draw attention to the ways in which the climate crisis was already transforming the icy continent and to rally support for the renewal of the Antarctic Treaty, which would keep the continent safe from extractive industries.
In After Antarctica, award-winning filmmaker Tasha Van Zandt follows Steger 30 years later as he travels the Arctic this time, reflecting on his original journey and once again bringing awareness to changes in a polar landscape. The film intersperses this contemporary journey with footage from the original expedition, some of which has never been seen before.
"Will's life journey as an explorer and climate activist has led him not only to see more of the polar world than anyone else alive today, but to being an eyewitness to the changes occurring across both poles," Van Zandt told EcoWatch. "But now, these changes are happening in all of our own backyards and we have all become eyewitnesses. Through my journey with Will, I have learned that although we cannot always control change, we can change our response. I feel strongly that this is a message that resonates when we look at the current state of the world, as we each have power and control over how we choose to respond to hardships, and we all have the power to unite with others through collective action around a common goal."
After Antarctica is available to stream once you purchase a ticket to the San Francisco International Film Festival. If you miss it this weekend, it will screen again at the Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival from May 13 to May 23.
Tasha Van Zandt
3. The Race to Save the World
Where to Watch: Virtual Cinema
When to Watch: From Earth Day, April 22
While many films about the climate crisis seek to raise awareness about the extent of the problem, The Race to Save the World focuses on the people who are trying to stop it. The film tells the story of climate activists ranging from 15-year-old Aji to 72-year-old Miriam who are working to create a sustainable future. It follows them from the streets to the courtroom to their homes, and explores the impact of their advocacy on their personal lives and relationships.
Emmy award-winning documentary filmmaker Joe Gantz told EcoWatch that he wanted to make a film about climate change, but did not want to depress viewers with overwhelming statistics. Instead, he chose to inspire them by sharing the stories of people trying to make a difference.
"Unless millions of people take to the streets and make their voices heard for a livable future, the politicians are not going to get on board to help make the changes needed for a sustainable future," Gantz told Ecowatch. "I think that The Race To Save The World will energize and inspire people to take action so that future generations, as well as the plants, animals and ecosystems, can survive and thrive on this planet."
Check back with EcoWatch on the morning of Earth Day for a special preview of this inspiring film!