The End of Country: Book Review
Energy has been a hot topic for the past several years and there seems to be no end to the political discourse which will ultimately determine our future directions as they pertain to energy sources. One particularly contentious issue has been the relatively new emergence of fracking (or hydraulic fracturing) as means of reaching previously infeasible deposits of oil and natural gas. It’s clear that we stand at a crossroad where we must decide how to reconcile our commitment to our natural environment with our demands for cheap and abundant energy.
In his book The End of Country Seamus McGraw explores this crossroads while at the same time providing a personal account of the impacts that natural gas exploration and extraction has on his rural community. McGraw’s boyhood home sits on top of the Marcellus Shale (one of the richest natural gas deposits yet to be explored) an area which due to new scientific data has become a hotbed of activity as companies compete to see who can extract the most the quickest. McGraw explains the personal moral dilemmas that his family encounters in deciding to become part of the race to take advantage of the Marcellus Shale. McGraw offers an insightful book which not only examines the impact that natural gas extraction has on his own family, but on the community, other land leasers, and those not lucky enough to get a lease. His story extends from his family to also examine how a citizen activist and an area native bear the brunt of fracking. McGraw also manages to describe the process of natural gas exploration, extraction, and fracking (as well as its associated environmental impacts) in vivid detail.
Image by Rick Hurdle used via Creative Commons License on flickr.com
Perhaps the most powerful aspect of The End of Country is an explanation of what is left after energy exploration begins. McGraw shows that even those that don’t sign contracts to have wells drilled
on their land have to put up with the noise of drilling, toxic chemical spills, well water contamination, and a general change in the nature of the community. In other words, McGraw shows that natural gas may not be the innocuous, green alternative to petroleum that it’s been traditionally touted. At times McGraw waxes philosophical as he discusses the profits that he stands to make from the Marcellus Shale and how it will impact his own life as well as how it may bring the end of the idyllic and bucolic landscape that current represents the area. Overall McGraw does an excellent job of infusing the raw emotions behind natural gas extraction into a discussion regarding its technical merits.
Why should you read this book? This book is for you if you’re interested in energy issues, environmental issues, or rural culture. It not only addresses some very real issues as the United States looks to diversify its energy usage, but it shows the on the ground impact that the sudden influxes of money and environmental degradation can have on a community. McGraw also reveals some of the nuances of natural gas exploration contracts and how they affect social nuances of community. This book looks beyond the typical partisan politics that typify discussions of energy use and explores it from a refreshingly unique and personal perspective.
Josh O’Conner is a Planner/Zoning Administrator in Asheville, North Carolina. You can find him on the web at triggerhippie.com, localplan.org, or twitter.com/joshoconner. Contact Josh via e-mail (josh -at-localplan.org). He was provided a copy of the book by the publisher for review.
