Scribecast: FrackNation Documentary Seeks the Truth on ‘Fracking’
Rob Bluey / Lachlan Markay /
The anti-fracking documentary “Gasland” has served as a rallying cry for environmentalists seeking to halt hydraulic fracturing, the process used by energy companies to extract petroleum and natural gas from underground. Even the State Department is promoting the film.
Critics of the widely-debunked documentary acknowledge its impact. Irish journalist and filmmaker Phelim McAleer is among them.
“I think it’s one of the most influential documentaries of maybe the last 10 years,” McAleer told us. “It’s driven the narrative. It has created a story. And it’s very, very entertaining, very well filmed, very well edited, actually extremely well edited, and it’s driven the whole story. It’s just so much that’s in it, even from my initial investigation, that’s just not true.”
McAleer is now seeking the truth. He’s producing a documentary called “FrackNation,” which aims to set the record straight about fracking.
Listen to the interview with Phelim McAleer on this week’s Scribecast
McAleer and his wife Ann McElhinney hope to raise $150,000 for the documentary. They’ve gone public with their campaign on Kickstarter, a funding platform for creative projects like “FrackNation.” They are nearly halfway to their goal and have 47 days let to reach it.
“The 1 percent have been having the conversation,” McAleer said. “I want to get this conversation to the 99 percent. And I want them to fund this movie. This is a movie by the people, for the people.
A trailer for “FrackNation” features individuals who have firsthand knowledge of fracking and have suffered the consequences of the campaign against it. McAleer said his goal is to tell their stories to counter the existing narrative.
The podcast runs about 11 minutes. It was produced with the help of Hannah Sternberg. Listen to previous interviews on Scribecast or subscribe to future episodes.