From Art Daily: “Fractured: North Dakota’s Oil Boom” is Field Museum’s latest exhibit
“New methods of horizontal drilling and fracking – injecting fluids deep into shale to unlock petroleum — have made this [current oil] boom happen. Rising oil production brings prosperity to some, but heartbreak to others whose lands are damaged. As thousands of people are pouring into the state because of an abundance of jobs, the prairie is increasingly fragmented by wells, pipelines, and other oil operations….This drilling process alters prairie habits and could bring catastrophic global warming ever closer, but it also offers temporary fiscal stability to the state and may help make the United States energy independent.”
Questions for Consideration
With all of the recent attention concerning fracking, how worried are you about the threat of increased global warming? How can we, as a society, better weigh the risks and benefits of economic boom versus environmental health? What responsibility does the media or government have to educate the public about the risks of fracking?
Want to learn more?
- Huffington Post: Fracking Independence Day: Frontline Group SAFE Appeals for Support and Action
- The Southern Illinoisan: Fracking debate complicated, to say the least
- The State Journal-Register: Administrative record key in fracking permit process
- Pro Publica: Science lags as health problems emerge near gas fields
- Yes Magazine: Illinois flawed fracking law is everyone’s problem
- NWI Times: Fracking is here to stay in Illinois, Indiana
Free and open to the public. For more information please call 312.422.5580.
If you need a sign interpreter or require other arrangements to fully participate, please call 312.422.5580. For parking locations near the facility, please visit ChicagoParkingMap.com.