Texas has become the first state in America to require drillers to publicly disclose the chemicals they are using when extracting gas and oil from dense rock formations.

Several other states, including California, have passed regulations forcing some disclosure but Texas is the first to pass it into law.

From farming to distribution our food system is more reliant than ever on energy. Driven by the promise of big bucks corporations are now chasing alternatives.

The process of ‘fracking’ is a means of extracting natural gas through deep well drilling. Once a well is drilled millions of gallons of water, sand and proprietary chemicals are injected, under high pressure, into a well. The pressure fractures the shale and props open fissures that enable natural gas to flow more freely out of the well.

Find out more:

Gasland, the Oscar nominated documentary about gas fracking, follows filmmaker Josh Fox as he embarks on a cross-country odyssey uncovering a trail of secrets, lies and contamination.

Read about Transition Towns - how to live without oil?

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