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Health & Fitness

WCC Faculty Member Maryam Barrie To Read From Seamus McGraw's Book On The Controversial Issue Of Fracking

Discussion Will Focus On The Science Behind The Fracking Industry

Thursday, March 20, 3:30 to 5 p.m.

Activity Part of WCC Sustainability Literacy Task Force [SLTF] Year Of Energy Celebration

WHAT: A discussion of the book titled, “The End of Country” by Seamus McGraw – led by WCC English faculty member Maryam Barrie.

The book focuses on the controversial issue of fracking - the process of removing trapped natural gas by high pressure injections of water, sand, and chemicals.

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Barrie will be joined by her WCC colleague Dr. Emily Thompson, [Biology] who will focus the discussion on the scientific aspects of fracking. Barrie and Thompson are both members of the WCC Sustainability Literacy Task Force.

The discussion is free and open to the public.

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Book synopsis: “The End of Country”, published by Random House, illuminates the way fracking is done. The book is set in a small town in the Endless Mountains of Pennsylvania, where gas drillers have come to the area with grand promises.

Author Seamus McGraw recounts how fracking has turned his mother’s quiet rural community, and his family legacy, inside out.

McGraw informs the reader about the complexities of a natural gas boom and contains impartial information about the history of natural gas extraction, and the more recent and monumental discovery of hydraulic fracturing.

The essence of the book is captured by this quote by McGraw: “People who had always stoically shared the hardships of rural life seemed no longer willing to share anything at all,” McGraw writes. It was, as one woman put it, “the end of country.”

Seamus McGraw is an American journalist and author. He has received the Freedom of Information Award from the Associated Press Managing Editors as well as honors from the Casey Foundation and the Society of Professional Journalists. 

WHEN/WHERE: Thursday, March 20th from 3:30 to 5 p.m. The Writing Center, Crane Liberal Arts and Science Building, Room 355, Washtenaw Community College, 4800 E. Huron Drive, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48105.

WHY: “We look forward to a spirited discussion about the fracking industry,” said Maryam Barrie, WCC English faculty member.” “Fracking for natural gas has become a hotly debated issue across the United States – some industry leaders highlight the benefits the practice holds [e.g., offsetting the cost of importing oil] – yet health and environmental groups question its safety [e.g. exposure to fracking chemicals has shown to be toxic and poisonous]. I am delighted to be joined by my SLTF colleague, Dr. Emily Thompson, who will help focus the conversation on the science behind the fracking industry and how the industry detrimentally affected the lives of author McGraw’s family,” Barrie added.

[Editor’s note: Contact: Maryam Barrie, WCC Faculty, English, Member of SLTF Committee, is available for interviews. Contact Susan Ferraro at snferraro@wccnet.edu or (734) 922-5568.]

Washtenaw Community College (WCC) has made education accessible and affordable for the local community for 48 years. Located in Ann Arbor, MI, the College offers over 120 degrees and certificates, an open door admission policy and affordable tuition rates. WCC is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, the regional accrediting organization recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

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