Gaslit
GASLIT is a series of short documentaries produced by Colorado Rising for Communities to shine a spotlight on the under told stories of Coloradans – and our neighbors – who are impacted by the rippling effects of the oil and gas industry. From concerns about air quality to fights over water rights, the harvesting and production of petroleum in the American West will have generations-long impacts on its residents. GASLIT strives to humanize the fallout from the decisions made to foster Oil & Gas by giving each person an individual opportunity to have their story framed and told appropriately.
Every Coloradan is impacted directly by the extraction and transportation of fossil fuels for continued consumption. From the workers on the wells themselves often working in dangerous, undersupported, and deregulated positions with little oversight; to parents worried for their children’s health as wells are drilled within a stone’s throw of their schools and homes; to the Colorado farmer who watches the skies all winter hoping that the snow will replenish our water supply, while knowing that it’s being siphoned for use in Oil & Gas for a product ultimately meant for export; to outdoors enthusiasts watching our outdoor lifestyle (and economy) disappear in plumes of diesel smoke.
COLORADO REGENERATIVE FARMER WATCHES CLIMATE CHANGE
Meet Andre, a refugee immigrant now first-generation Boulder farmer, is a regenerative farmer conscious of our impact on Earth. Over the past ten years he says he has had to consciously shift his crop selection because of observable changes in Colorado’s climate. Once a staple crop, he is not currently growing corn because he can not guarantee enough clean water or that the ever-increasing-100-degree plus days won’t fry the plant before it reaches maturity. For now, his farm equipment uses gas and diesel but — like the county his childhood home and now farm reside inside — he is working to end his relationship with the fossil fuel in favor of safer, renewable options. Solar power and wind turbines on his land are only a start, he’d like to be able to run his tractor some day soon without the stop at the local gas station first.
FRACKING KATHY'S DREAM HOME
Kathy moved to Colorado in 1981 for the same reasons as many others. Her love for the access to outdoor recreation, her neighbors’ kind attitudes, the openness in the space and people, and the beautiful views from her home. Then, came the Gas Man. One person after another felt the pressure to sell mineral rights before they’d even settled in. Packages promising wealth and comfort showed up at some houses, coercing the owners to sell the Earth beneath their new homes, while other houses only a football field away received nothing, not even notice. One day, the well appeared. Vibrations in the ground from equipment, amber flares of fire at any time of day or night, new noxious smells drifting across the previously-quiet prairie and in to neighbors’ dream homes.
an oil train on the colorado river
Glenwood Springs, Colorado is known internationally as an outdoor paradise, tucked in the Rocky Mountains next to Hanging Lake, home to gold medal fly fishing and a river that rafters crafted their sport on. The postcard village has few fans more faithful than previous Mayor Jonathan Godes. Raising his teens in his town, he champions everything that helps their community grow responsibly, in-step with what brought him there in the first place.
Fresh air, easy access to outdoor play, and – of course – clean water. Now, the Uinta Basin Railway wants to double down on their gamble in the canyon, by adding 10 miles of waxy crude cars chugging along the tracks next to the Colorado River a day. Every day.
A UTAH OIL TRAIN COULD DERAIL IN DENVER
Clean air, easy access to outdoor play, and – of course – clean water. The mountain living in Denver, Colorado is marketed as postcard-perfect in a mountain oasis. Now, the Uinta Basin Railway wants to risk the already-falling quality of life in the Mile High City by adding 10 miles of waxy crude cars chugging along the tracks through the city a day. Every day.
Ean Tafoya of Green Latinos and Becky English of the Sierra Club Colorado discuss the projected impacts on the city’s water and air in the latest episode of GASLIT. Ean is active in Denver Public Affairs, Colorado Public Policy, and Federal Environmental Policy. He has worked for three branches of local government, worked at three levels of American government, run for Denver City Council, and has directed many local and state political races. Becky English a leader of the transportation committee of the Colorado chapter of Sierra Club spoke about the relationship of trains to a cleaner environment. She is a founder of Swift Automated Transit, a Boulder Colorado-based startup, an innovative automated transit network system.
ABOUT THE FILMMAKER
Vince Chandler is an award-winning filmmaker and photographer in Denver, Colorado. A documentary cinematographer, he made his feature length debut shooting Running With My Girls. He creates digital collateral for political candidates and ballot campaigns across the country and works daily as an artist with an activist mindset. His ongoing projects push for the realization of more progressive possibilities. His current film project GASLIT and still photo portrait series #GreetingsFromFrackedColorado highlight the easily seen and felt impacts of climate change accelerated by oil and gas operations in the Front Range.
A seasoned breaking news videographer, Vince has covered large developing stories on deadline for Colorado’s largest newsroom, including the Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood shooting and the live daily coverage of the Aurora Theater Shooter’s trial. Vince was Executive Producer and Director of “The Cannabist Show,” a groundbreaking talkshow centered on the nuances and news of the brand-new legal adult use cannabis industry for The Denver Post. Founding Multimedia Editor for The Cannabist, earning the vertical its first EMMY nomination.