GasLand. Dir. Josh Fox. Perf. Josh Fox. New Video Group, 2010. DVD.
One of filmmaker Josh Fox's claims in his documentary GasLand is that American corporations and politicians are so fueled by their lust of profits that they are ignorant of the fact that they are causing the polluting of thousands of Americans' drinking water, leading to serious health issues. Fox is absolutely correct in questioning the policies of oil and gas companies toward the health of the citizens near gas rigs.
Weston Wilson, the whistleblower working at EPA that Fox interviewed, is very insightful when stating "all science and data stopped" after Bush passed his energy policy act in 2005. Also, he claims that the responsibility is on the gas industries to prove to the government that their drilling policies are not harmful to the environment or especially to the people living there. Wilson often brings up the point that these agreements of buying land and injecting chemicals are in complete secrecy and without consulting with the EPA, thanks to exploiting the Halliburton loophole back in 2005. Therefore, oil and gas companies have continuously passed the buck or completely ignored the obvious link between fracking and intermingling of fracking fluids and drinking water, as well as the air pollutants from the gas rigs. However, wouldn't it be up to the government to regulate these business practices through heavy investigation and the closing of loopholes?
"What [Fox has] been picking up from these citizens is what we should be investigating, but we're not. We're still asleep at the wheel... [The citizens] don't deserve to be exposed to secret chemicals. It's un-American...this may be a pattern repeating itself, but so far, we're on duty"
--Weston Wilson, EPA employee
Unit 5 Essential Questions:
How do modern modes of communication affect the rhetorical devices individuals have at their disposal?
The modern documentary has allowed filmmakers to take action on issues that they see are crucial. In addition, it opens up a new world of rhetorical possibilities to use on their audience. For example, Josh Fox changes the mood in GasLand through transitional segments within the documentary, including cartoons back by cheerful music, stock footage, and analysis of government documents. This sets the mood away from one argument (or way of portraying an argument) to another without confusing the audience. This possibility is only available through the modern form of documentary.
How have modern modes of communication been perceived and received by the global community?
The modern documentary has reached out to millions of people, seeing that the message can now be shared through TV, movies, the Internet, and other forms of communication, all around the world. It is perceived in many ways, based on the individual's existing knowledge, location, or bias on the subject. For example, Fox shows maps of the potential drilling areas in GasLand, leading people who live in those large areas to feel concerned, and therefore receiving the idea more efficiently. Also, Fox paints a picture of Dick Cheney as a heartless, ignorant politician who only cares about cheap energy, even if it makes citizens' drinking water unhealthy. Some of the audience who already have bias toward Cheney might feel more comfortable with the message.
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