2023-04-28 17:06:28
Every Coloradan is impacted directly by the extraction and transportation of fossil fuels for continued consumption. Every Coloradan like 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. GASLIT is a series of short documentaries produced 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. 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. GASLIT is a film series directed by Vince Chandler, created for Colorado Rising for Communities.