Amity and Prosperity: One Family and the Fracturing of America

Fracking continues to be a major political conversation, with so-called fractivists around the country drawing attention to the environmental risks that stem from the profitable gas enterprise. Griswold describes these activists’ concerns as centering around “the precautionary principle,” arguing that fracking places “public health at risk” in the name of profit (155). Griswold describes how Sharon Wilson, a fracking activist and blogger known as “TXsharon,” attended a fracking company convention in 2011. Wilson signed up for the event legally, and sat in the audience and recorded the speakers’ speeches. One particularly damning speech is that of Matt Pitzarella, who was at the event representing Range Resources. During his speech, Pitzarella describes how “former psy-ops folks” now work for Range Resources (156). Pitzarella implies that these individuals use their knowledge of psychological warfare to manipulate communities into accepting fracking. Wilson also observes the presentation of a company that was offering surveillance software to track individuals in communities targeted by fracking companies. Wilson’s blogging about the conference causes a media controversy, as it suggests to the public that the fracking companies see themselves “as battling insurgents in Washington County” (157).