Film showings focus on impacts of coal and gas extraction

From "Gasland": A man lights his tap water on fire to demonstrate pollution from natural gas "fracking"

America’s energy debate is coming to the lower St. Croix River valley this month, with showings of two films about natural gas and coal issues.  “What We Need Is Here,” the sustainability coalition based out of the University of Wisconsin – River Falls, is organizing the showings and discussions in Stillwater and River Falls.

Details:

• Gasland, about the “fracking” process to drill for natural gas – shown last week at the Stillwater Public Library and will be shown tonight, Feb. 9, at the River Falls Library.
• Dirty Business, about “clean coal” and trying to move to cleaner energy – showing Feb. 16 at the Stillwater Library and Feb. 23 in River Falls.

All showings run from 6:30 – 9 p.m and will include “ample time for serious discussion” afterward.

Fracking has implications downstream and close-to-home, where communities like Red Wing are wrestling with whether or not to allow intensive mining for a specific type of sand used in the fracking process.

Find more information at www.whatweneedishere.org. Thanks to Heather at ArtReach St. Croix for the heads-up!