Stephen Colbert devoted a must-see segment of The Colbert Report last night to the subject of hydraulic fracturing (fracking), mocking gas company Talisman Terry for its coloring book propaganda, “Talisman Terry’s Energy Adventure” [PDF] and generally eviscerating the gas industry’s efforts to greenwash fracking in the wake of widespread public concern over water contamination and other threats posed by the industry’s drilling operations.
Colbert’s team certainly had fun mocking Talisman’s “Friendly Fracosaurus” character, revealing some “bonus pages” of the dinosaur facing his “violated ancestors” and committing suicide - frackicide? - by lighting a cigarette in the shower. These references were surely amusing to viewers of Gasland and other followers of the fracking controversy.
Watch the video:
Video courtesy of The Colbert Report.
Democracy is utterly dependent upon an electorate that is accurately informed. In promoting climate change denial (and often denying their responsibility for doing so) industry has done more than endanger the environment. It has undermined democracy.
There is a vast difference between putting forth a point of view, honestly held, and intentionally sowing the seeds of confusion. Free speech does not include the right to deceive. Deception is not a point of view. And the right to disagree does not include a right to intentionally subvert the public awareness.
If you're looking for the shale gas boom, northeastern Pennsylvania is the place to start.
The Marcellus is the largest and fastest growing shale gas play in the U.S. and more than half of its 50 most productive wells were drilled in Susquehanna County in the northeast. Susquehanna and neighboring Bradford County produced 41 percent of all Marcellus gas this June.
While drilling is down in other shale gas plays across the US...
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Previous Comments
Learn the facts
Misleading flaming tap water scene again on TV. Reminder: Incident investigated; cause not natural gas drilling. Evidence: http://t.co/WhiHDUR
Humor
get some
Cartoon characters at war. Im
Cartoon characters at war. Im pretty sure this was covered in an episode of Bugs Bunny.
Steven vs Fracky. With the right chemical high it might even be funny.
What's really amazing is that
What’s really amazing is that Colbert has milked his tired schtick for so long. I guess liberals just eat that hamfisted crap up.
ha
As opposed to equating fracking with a friendly dinosaur? Please. It was a moronic attempt to endoctrinate children, and they got called on it.
Fracking may be fine, but using a dinosaur with children is similar to camel cigarettes pushing the image to minors.
Here in Australia the Greens
Here in Australia the Greens party has an unlikely ally in regards to fracking, the conservative nationals.
The conservative party in Australia is a coalition of 2 parties. Ironically, one is called the “Liberal Party” & the other is the “National Party”. The Liberal party traditionally occupy metropolitan seats & the Nationals country seats.
While they are bitterly opposed to each others ideologies, they are both united against fracking. Both for the same reason. The potential for damage to important agricultural land & the potential to damage and contaminate the water table.
I dont think the greens would be movable on any compromise, but the nationals could probably be persuaded if it could be shown that they were sufficiently compenasted for use of their land plus any ensuing damage. Its the damage part that gets the NATS though. The compensation for use of the land is ok by most, but its the damage that doesnt seem to convince anyone that there will be compensation IF there IS damage.
The fracking companies rarely pay for any damage.
Both Labor (progressives) & the Liberals (conservatives) fully support fracking.
Horrors! Talisman Terry has been killed!
I followed your link to the Talisman site and it is no longer live. I searched for the poor fracosaurus and kept getting bogged down. They killed Terry! Bastards!
(If DeSmog blog has downloaded this coloring book, could you please make it available on this site? Thanks.)
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