Transformed
Hydrofracking Photographs
Note: this is part III of a four part series entitled The Hydrofracking Suite.
These apocalyptic looking photographs were made by manipulating and transforming hydrofracking images appropriated from the internet. I encourage you to read the titles of each piece; the titles are part of the content of this project; they will add more complexity to how you see and respond to the images.
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click on the images to enlarge
Unseen by the unaided eye...
Infrared photography reveals methane gas leaks
in Industry storage sites
Click here to see actual infrared video footage.
Click here to see actual infrared video footage.
Infrared image revealing methane gas escaping from a compressor
Collection Pit for highly toxic hydrofracking mud waste
Methane contaminated water from a private water well, explosively ignited at a home kitchen tap
Departing Portrait: DEC Commissioner
Brine Collection Pit in toxic red landscape
A Dead Fish lying on the bottom of a contaminated stream
Nocturn: Drill site gas flare flame
Inside a collection pool of radiantly toxic hydrofracking brine
Click here to learn more about the problem of hydrofracking wastewater
Nocturn: Winter landscape, Christmas Eve ( two gas well rigs, red toxic smog spots)
Nocturn: An infinite line of water trucks, waiting, after midnight on a country road
to fill up with water to be withdrawn from a local river.
The water, to be used for hydraulic fracturing, will become poisoned.
Where will the wastewater go?
Delaware River Valley
River and Highway running parallel side by side
Nocturn: Windswept pollution and drill tower being watched over by two moons
Nocturn: Windswept Gas Site Flare Flame
reflected in a brine collection pool
Exploding Gas drilling site
Be sure to see Part IV of the Hydrofracking Suite
in which the above images are transformed yet again
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in which the above images are transformed yet again
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Through the devastating and greedy process of hydrofracking we humans are once again turning away from the Natural World. We are indeed living in a departing landscape; the natural world is leaving us.
Hydrofracking across the United States is turning the natural environment into a corporate-political-industrial wasteland where a only few will win short term gains while all the rest of us will be left with untold costs in terms of environmental and health impacts, ruin of local infrastructure, and finally, because of hydrofracking's impact on the ozone layer, an increasing of the affects of global warming. (learn more). Already we are witnessing melting icecaps, dissolving choral reefs, plastic infested fish, ocean and lake dead zones, diminishing ecosysems, the warming global climate, droughts, etc. . . . .
See my photography project The Departing Landscape.
On December 17, 2014, under tremendous pressure from environmentalists, scientists, doctors, economists, etc., Gov. Cuomo announced that he would Ban hydrofracking in NY State.
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The above images should be taken as metaphors.
The toxic chemicals used in hydrdrofracking, the excessive amounts of fresh water used in the process - all of which gets poisoned in the process - and the dangerous production flowback and waste water from the process - which no one knows what to do with - will eat away at our land and air and fresh water and wildlife and our very own bodies . . . like a cancer.
The carbon footprint of hydrofracking is extremely large; the earth's protective ozone layer will be further dissolved by the green gases from hydrofracking and increase significantly the process of climate change that we are seeing signs of already.
Why? Who will benefit? If hydrofracking is allowed to happen in NY State, there most probably will be no benefit to NY residents because itinerant workers fill most of the jobs, well site production times are relatively brief (no long term benefits here) and the natural gas will be liquified at great energy and environmental costs and shipped to Asia at large profits to the industry, their investors and the politicians that are supporting this corruption, and of very little benefit to NY state tax payers. We will in fact only be given the mess left behind by the industry to clean up ourselves, at our taxpayers' cost. We will have to deal with polluted air and water and land; broken infrastructure and ruined roads; long term health problems that will cost every taxpayer a fortune. The gas and oil industry gets off free.
Political and Corporate corruption, and the bi-partisan gridlock that occurs in Washington DC, and at the State Governmental levels, essentially is turning it's back on the Natural World and 99% of the country's taxpayers. The corporate system just wants money and power with no concern or responsibility for the impact of what it does on the people and communities and the long term health consequences of both the people and the planet.
The waste water? This is a huge, very serious problem that the industry keeps trying to sweep under the rug. Click here to learn more about the hydrofracking waste water issue.
One day there will be wars fought over the need for fresh potable water. Fresh water is already amazingly scarce throughout the world. Why would New York State government actually consider allowing a gas drilling process that could ruin our fresh water beyond repair? What aren't we seeing here? What is being silenced? When will we admit that in the long term fossil fuels are going to be the destruction of us all - though in the short term it's acquisition might benefit a few high-end investors, politicians, heads of industry, corporations and banks? Will the 1% win yet another victory against the rest of us at the expense of a planet that is already dying?
Websites and Individuals to follow:
New Yorkers Against Fracking Please get involved in this!
R-Cause Rochester, NY area info network
New York Times click here
Sandra Steingraber click here
Walter Hang, Toxics Targeting click here
Robert Oswald & Michelle Williams (impact on animals) click here
James Northrup click here
Dr. Robert Howarth click here
Tony Ingraffea click here
Deborah Rogers, financial spin on hydrofracking click here
Dr. Jannette Barth, economist click here
Josh Fox, filmmaker & activist click here
Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Call him! Email him!
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Transformed Hydrofracking Photographs is part III of a four part series entitled The Hydrofracking Suite.
Visit my website NoToHydrofracking
Welcome Page to The Departing Landscape website which includes the complete hyperlinked listing of my online photography projects dating back to the 1960's, my resume, contact information, and more.
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