All language subtitles for Years of Living Dangerously S01E06 1080p AMZN WEBRip DD2 0 x264-herkz_track3_[eng]

Ferrera:
I WAS BORN IN CALIFORNIA.

NOW I LIVE IN NEW YORK.

AND BETWEEN
SUPERSTORM SANDY HERE

AND THE RAGING WILDFIRES
AND THE RECORD DROUGHTS THERE,

IT'S IMPOSSIBLE
TO IGNORE GLOBAL WARMING.

IT WORRIES ME A LOT.

SO WHEN I GET A CHANCE
TO MEET A TOP ENERGY EXECUTIVE

WHOSE COMPANY BURNS A LOT
OF COAL, OIL, AND GAS,

I'M EAGER TO ASK HIM
SOME TOUGH QUESTIONS.

THE SINGLE-LARGEST SOURCE
OF CARBON EMISSIONS

IN THE UNITED STATES,
IN THE WORLD,

COMES FROM POWER PLANTS.
MM-HMM.

AND WE OWN POWER PLANTS.
MM-HMM.

DAVID CRANE IS THE C.E.O.

OF AMERICA'S SECOND-LARGEST
ENERGY GENERATION COMPANY --

NRG.

WHEN IT COMES TO CLIMATE CHANGE
AND CARBON EMISSIONS,

SO MANY PEOPLE WOULD SAY
YOU'RE THE BAD GUY.

WE MAKE ENOUGH POWER TO LIGHT UP
40 MILLION AMERICAN HOMES.

MM-HMM.

BUT IN ORDER TO DO THAT,
RIGHT NOW,

WE'RE EMITTING ABOUT
60 MILLION TONS OF CARBON

INTO THE ATMOSPHERE A YEAR.

WE'RE THE BAD GUY BECAUSE
WE'RE KEEPING THE LIGHTS ON

IN EVERYONE'S HOME,

AND THIS IS THE WAY THE LIGHTS
HAVE BEEN KEPT ON

FOR THE LAST 100 YEARS.
AND SO...

BUT THEN HE TELLS ME SOMETHING
I WASN'T EXPECTING.

HE'S TRYING TO MOVE AWAY
FROM OIL AND COAL,

AND AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

IN TEXAS, HIS COMPANY IS ALREADY

ONE OF THE BIGGEST PROVIDERS
OF WIND ENERGY.

SO THEN, IS YOUR INTEREST
IN SUSTAINABLE ENERGY

PURELY PERSONAL AND MORAL,
OR DO YOU SEE --

DOES IT MAKE
BUSINESS SENSE?

OH, NO, IT MAKES
TOTAL BUSINESS SENSE.

YOU KNOW, WHEN WE STARTED,

WE SORT OF LOOKED AROUND
TO OUR LEFT AND TO OUR RIGHT,

THINKING THAT, YOU KNOW,

OURS IS A PRETTY
COMPETITIVE INDUSTRY,

WHERE, YOU KNOW, ALL OUR
COMPETITORS ARE GONNA BE THERE

AND WE'RE GONNA
HAVE TO FIGHT THEM.

AND WE WERE ALONE.
WHY?

[ LAUGHS ] I DON'T KNOW.

I CAN'T ASK THAT QUESTION.

AND DAVID CRANE ISN'T
THE ONLY SURPRISING PERSON

WHO'S PUSHING FOR CLEAN ENERGY
THESE DAYS.

ABOUT AN HOUR
FROM WHERE I GREW UP,

I MEET THE MAYOR
OF LANCASTER, CALIFORNIA,

A TOUGH-ON-CRIME REPUBLICAN

WHO'S TRYING TO POWER HIS ENTIRE
CITY WITH SOLAR ENERGY.

HALF THE PEOPLE THINK I'M NUTS
WHEN I SAY THESE THINGS,

HALF THE PEOPLE BELIEVE ME,
AND THEN IT HAPPENS.

MM-HMM.
YOU KNOW, NOBODY BELIEVED

97% OF THE CITY BUILDINGS
WOULD BE NET ZERO.

EXPLAIN.
WHAT IS NET ZERO?

NET ZERO IS,

WE ARE NOT CREATING
A CARBON FOOTPRINT AT ALL.

THAT'S ATTAINABLE NOW.

AND IT'S NOT JUST COMPANIES
AND CITIES

THAT ARE TURNING TO RENEWABLES.

ENTIRE COUNTRIES ARE, TOO.

PEOPLE HAVE BEEN
TALKING ABOUT SOLAR AND WIND

SINCE 1970s WHEN, YOU KNOW,

JIMMY CARTER WAS
TALKING ABOUT THIS STUFF.

SO IT'S BEEN AROUND
FOR A WHILE.

BUT WHAT'S DIFFERENT NOW IS

THAT YOU'VE GOT GERMANY,
JAPAN, DENMARK --

REALLY LARGE,
SOPHISTICATED ECONOMIES

THAT ARE NOW SPRINTING
TOWARDS RENEWABLE ENERGY,

BECAUSE
WE'RE COST-EFFECTIVE,

WE CREATE HUGE AMOUNT
OF JOBS, WE'RE LOCAL,

SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY
ABOUT IMPORTING FOREIGN OIL

OR DOING ALL
OF THOSE THINGS.

SO WHAT'S STOPPING OUR COUNTRY
FROM DOING THE SAME THING?

RENEWABLE ENERGY SEEMS TO BE
MORE VIABLE THAN EVER.

BUT I'M ALSO LEARNING

THERE ARE SOME POWERFUL FORCES
STANDING IN ITS WAY.

President Obama:
OUR PLANET IS CHANGING IN WAYS

THAT WILL HAVE PROFOUND IMPACTS
ON ALL OF HUMANKIND.

I'M HERE TO SAY WE NEED TO ACT.

[ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]

Bittman:
ON A HOT DAY LAST SUMMER,

THE PRESIDENT LAID OUT
A NEW, MORE AGGRESSIVE PLAN

TO REIGN IN CLIMATE CHANGE.

THESE ARE FACTS.

Bittman: OBAMA CLAIMED TO SEE
A PATH FORWARD

FROM THE DIRTY ENERGY
OF THE PAST

TO THE CLEAN ENERGY
OF THE FUTURE.

BUT THE ENERGY SOURCE THE
PRESIDENT TALKED ABOUT THE MOST

WASN'T WIND OR SOLAR
OR EVEN NUCLEAR.

IT WAS NATURAL GAS.

WE'RE ALSO PRODUCING MORE
CLEANER-BURNING NATURAL GAS

THAN ANY OTHER COUNTRY ON EARTH.

Bittman: HE CALLED IT CLEAN,
AFFORDABLE,

AND CRITICAL
TO STOPPING GLOBAL WARMING.

IT CAN ALSO HELP REDUCE
OUR CARBON EMISSIONS.

Bittman: THESE DAYS,
A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE SAYING

THAT NATURAL GAS
IS TH SOLUTION

TO BOTH OUR ENERGY
AND CLIMATE WOES.

BUT I DISCOVERED THAT A HANDFUL
OF SCIENTISTS

HAVE SOME PROBLEMS
WITH THAT CLAIM,

INCLUDING ONE WHO USED TO WORK
FOR THE GAS INDUSTRY.

Ingraffea: THE INDUSTRY

REALLY WANTS THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE TO BELIEVE.

THEY REALLY WANT

THE PRESIDENT OF
THE UNITED STATES TO BELIEVE.

THEY WANT ALL
THE STATE REGULATORS

AND STATE LEGISLATORS
TO BELIEVE WHAT THEY'RE SAYING,

WHICH IS,
"SHALE GAS IS OUR SAVIOR.

MERRY CHRISTMAS, AMERICA."

[ CHUCKLES ]

"IT'S GONNA MAKE US
ENERGY-INDEPENDENT,

ENERGY-SECURE,
IT'S GONNA KEEP PRICES LOW,

IT'S GONNA KILL COAL."

WELL, ALL THOSE THINGS
DEPEND UPON

SHALE GAS BEING "CLEAN."

AND WE QUESTION THAT.

Woman: THIS REPORT CONSTITUTES
AN ALARM-CLOCK MOMENT

FOR THE WORLD,

BECAUSE THIS REPORT
WILL TELL US, AGAIN,

THAT EVERYTHING WE THOUGHT
WE KNEW ON CLIMATE CHANGE

HAS ACTUALLY BEEN
UNDERESTIMATED,

THAT THE EFFECTS OF
CLIMATE CHANGE WILL BE UPON US

FASTER AND IN A MORE INTENSE
FASHION THAN WE HAD THOUGHT.

President H.W. Bush: WE ALL KNOW
THAT HUMAN ACTIVITIES

ARE CHANGING THE ATMOSPHERE

IN UNEXPECTED
AND IN UNPRECEDENTED WAYS.

Man: ...THAT THE GREENHOUSE
EFFECT HAS BEEN DETECTED,

AND IT IS CHANGING
OUR CLIMATE NOW.

Man #2: THE ATMOSPHERE AND OCEAN
HAVE WARMED.

THE AMOUNT OF SNOW AND ICE
HAVE DIMINISHED.

SEA LEVEL HAS RISEN,

AND THE CONCENTRATIONS
OF GREENHOUSE GASES HAVE...

Schwarzenegger:
THERE IS NO MORE FIRE SEASON.

WE HAVE WILDFIRES
ALL YEAR 'ROUND.

Man #3: CLIMATE CHANGE,
EXTREME WEATHER...

Man #3: ...AND OUR
VULNERABILITY TO IT.

Man #5:
...WHERE 12 YEARS OF DROUGHT HAS
LEFT THE LANDSCAPE BONE-DRY.

Man #6: WE GOT ANY PATRIOTS
IN THE CROWD?!

Woman #2: A NEW SCIENTIFIC
REPORT HAS DETERMINED

THE LAST DECADE WAS THE WARMEST
ON RECORD.

Man #7:
OUR WORLD IS CHANGING FASTER

AND MORE DRAMATICALLY
THAN EVER BEFORE.

Ferrera:
WHEN I STARTED LOOKING INTO

THE STATE OF CLEAN ENERGY
IN AMERICA,

EVERYONE TOLD ME
TO GO TO KANSAS.

TO THE NATIVE AMERICANS
WHO ONCE LIVED HERE,

KANSAS MEANS
"PEOPLE OF THE SOUTH WIND."

THEY SAY THAT
IN SOME PARTS OF THE STATE,

IT NEVER STOPS BLOWING.

TODAY, MORE AND MORE PEOPLE
IN KANSAS

ARE TRYING TO HARNESS
THAT NATURAL RESOURCE.

WOW. LOOK AT THAT.

IT'S HUGE.

I'M HERE TO MEET
WITH ONE OF THE PIONEERS,

A RANCHER NAMED PETE FERRELL.

Ferrell:
I USED TO CUSS THE WIND.
[ LAUGHS ]

THERE WERE DAYS
I'D COME IN WITH A HEADACHE

FROM HAVING TO CLAMP MY HAT ON
SO TIGHT OVER MY HEAD.

SO AT WHAT POINT

DID YOUR RELATIONSHIP
TO THE WIND CHANGE?

IT WAS OUT
OF STRATEGIC NECESSITY.

I REALIZED A NUMBER
OF YEARS AGO,

THAT I WAS GONNA JOIN THE OLD,
DEAD RANCHERS SOCIETY.

THAT'S WHERE YOU WORK 24/7,
365 DAYS A YEAR

UNTIL YOU FALL OVER DEAD,

AND THEN A BUNCH OF PEOPLE
GATHER AROUND

AND CONGRATULATE YOU
FOR WHAT A FINE JOB YOU DID.

"YEAH, BOY.

BOY, HE PUT AWAY THE HOURS,
DIDN'T HE?"

AND I'VE SEEN GUYS JUST WORK
THEMSELVES INTO THE GRAVE,

AND I DECIDED I DIDN'T WANT
TO BE A MEMBER OF THAT SOCIETY.

I WANTED TO FIND
A DIFFERENT WAY.

BUT WHEN HE FIRST PUT UP
THESE TURBINES,

HE HAD NO IDEA THEY WOULD END UP
SAVING HIS RANCH

WHEN DISASTER STRUCK.

Woman:
THE WORST DROUGHT IN DECADES

IS CAUSING PAIN ACROSS
MORE THAN HALF THE NATION.

TODAY, THE U.S. DEPARTMENT
OF AGRICULTURE REPORTS

ALMOST HALF
OF ALL THE NATION'S COUNTIES

HAVE BEEN DECLARED DISASTERS
BECAUSE OF THIS YEAR'S DROUGHT.

WE'VE HAD DROUGHTS BEFORE.

WE COULD MEASURE THEM
IN MONTHS.

SO THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE

THAT I GOT TO EXPERIENCE
A THREE-YEAR DROUGHT --

AND A DROUGHT IS LIKE
A PIECE OF SAND

YOU CAN NEVER GET
OUT OF YOUR EYE.

IT'S ALWAYS THERE.

IT ALWAYS REMINDS YOU
EVERY DAY

WHEN YOU LOOK OUT AND YOU SEE
THE LANDSCAPE DYING.

I DON'T KNOW
WHAT MY FELLOW RANCHERS --

WELL, I DO KNOW
WHAT THEY'RE DOING.

I KNOW THEY'RE QUITTING.

AND THEY'RE LOSING THEIR LAND
AND THEIR LIVELIHOODS.

AND, OF COURSE,
MY ACE UP MY SLEEVE

IS THAT I HAVE A WIND FARM,
WHICH ALLOWS ME

TO GAIN AN ADDITIONAL
TRACK OF REVENUE

IN SPITE OF A DROUGHT.

WIND IS MY BEST CASH CROP
IN A DROUGHT,

BECAUSE WIND BLOWS
EVEN DURING A DROUGHT.

SO, PETE, TALK TO ME ABOUT
THE HISTORY OF THIS RANCH.

HOW LONG
HAVE YOU BEEN HERE?

MY GREAT-GRANDFATHER
FOUNDED THIS RANCH IN 1888.

THIS IS WHERE HE SPENT
HIS FINAL YEARS.

HE BUILT THIS HOUSE
AS A 70-YEAR-OLD,

JUST FIVE YEARS
BEFORE HE DIED.

THIS VERY HOUSE?

THIS VERY HOUSE,
BUILT 90 YEARS AGO BY HIM.

SO I'M LIVING
IN MY GREAT-GRANDFATHER'S HOME,

AND IT'S SACRED GROUND.

PETE SAYS THAT, AT FIRST,

PEOPLE WERE SKEPTICAL
OF HIS WIND TURBINES.

BUT A FEW YEARS
AFTER HE PUT THEM UP,

THE WHOLE STATE GOT BEHIND
WIND ENERGY IN A BIG WAY.

KANSAS PASSED A LAW REQUIRING
THAT 20% OF ALL ELECTRICITY

COME FROM RENEWABLES BY 2020.

NOW MORE THAN HALF THE STATES IN
THE COUNTRY HAVE SIMILAR LAWS.

THEY'RE KNOWN AS RENEWABLE
ENERGY STANDARDS.

AND IT'S THANKS, IN PART,
TO THESE LAWS THAT IN 2012,

WIND AND SOLAR IN THE U.S.
GREW FASTER

THAN ANY OTHER ENERGY SOURCE --

FASTER THAN COAL
OR EVEN NATURAL GAS.

KANSAS NOW HAS ENOUGH TURBINES
TO POWER NEARLY A MILLION HOMES.

AND IT'S NOT JUST LEFTIES
WHO ARE HAPPY ABOUT THIS.

KANSAS' REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR,

ONE OF THE MOST CONSERVATIVE
IN THE COUNTRY,

IS A HUGE SUPPORTER.

IF WE DO THIS RIGHT,

WE WILL SEE THE DEVELOPMENT
OF RENEWABLE ENERGY CORRIDOR

THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF KANSAS

THAT WILL PROVIDE JOBS
FOR RURAL KANSAS

AND CLEAN ENERGY FOR THE WORLD.

I WANT KANSAS TO NOT ONLY
BE KNOWN AS THE WHEAT STATE,

BUT ALSO THE RENEWABLE STATE,
AND WE CAN DO IT.

BUT NOT EVERYONE IS HAPPY ABOUT
ALL THE GROWTH IN RENEWABLES,

AND SOME GROUPS ARE WORKING
VERY HARD TO CONVINCE PEOPLE

THAT WIND AND SOLAR
ARE A BAD BET.

[ BLOWS ]

WE ARE AT THE WORLD SERIES
OF POKER

IN THE RIO HOTEL AND CASINO.

PROBABLY ABOUT 2,000 PLAYERS --

MOSTLY POKER PROFESSIONALS,
A FEW AMATEURS LIKE MYSELF.

THE GAME -- IT'S SO COMPLEX.

THERE'S PATIENCE,
SELF-CONTROL, SELF-DISCIPLINE.

THEN IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT
TO BE ABLE TO READ PEOPLE,

UNDERSTANDING, YOU KNOW, WHO
THEY ARE, HOW THEY'RE PLAYING.

AND FOR MY JOB AS AN ANALYST

FOR ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT
ISSUES AND POLICY,

LIKE I WOULD AT THE POKER TABLE,
I NEED TO KNOW ALL THE DATA,

I NEED TO KNOW ALL THE STUDIES,

I NEED TO DISCERN WHAT EACH
PIECE OF DATA OR STUDY MEANS,

FIT IT
INTO THE OVERALL PICTURE.

THE MERE NOTION THAT CLIMATE
IS CHANGING

DOES NOT MEAN "A" --
THAT WE'RE FACING A CRISIS --

OR "B" -- THAT WE NEED TO DO
SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

Ferrera: JAMES TAYLOR SPENDS
MUCH OF HIS TIME ON THE ROAD...

GOOD MORNING.

...GOING FROM STATE
TO STATE TO STATE,

TRYING TO SHUT DOWN

ANY GOVERNMENT EFFORTS
TO PROMOTE RENEWABLES.

Taylor: I'VE BEEN TO MOST
OF THE STATE CAPITALS

TO MEET WITH LEGISLATORS OR
STATE OFFICIALS OR TO TESTIFY.

FOR TODAY'S HEARINGS,
WOULD YOU PREFER

THAT I EMPHASIZE
MORE THE ECONOMICS,

MORE THE ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES?

Woman: EMPHASIZE
THE ECONOMICS SIDE.

I DON'T THINK WE'RE GONNA WIN
THE ENVIRONMENTAL ARGUMENT.

THESE ARE WHERE THE BATTLES ARE
FOUGHT REGARDING GLOBAL WARMING

AND ALL SORTS OF OTHER ISSUES.

THE OBJECTIVE FACT IS
THAT RENEWABLE POWER

IS SUBSTANTIALLY MORE EXPENSIVE
THAN CONVENTIONAL POWER.

NATURAL GAS --

REGARDING THE SIX PRINCIPLE
POLLUTANTS TRACKED BY E.P.A.,

NATURAL GAS CUTS THOSE
POLLUTANTS BY 90%-PLUS.

IT'S ESSENTIALLY
AN EMISSIONS-FREE POWER SOURCE.

YOU ARE ALMOST
A WHOLLY OWNED SUBSIDIARY

OF EXXON MOBIL,
ARE YOU NOT?

[ CHUCKLES ]
WELL, THAT'S WHAT

THE GLOBAL-WARMING ALARMISTS
OF THE WORLD

WOULD LIKE YOU
TO BELIEVE.

Ferrera: TAYLOR SEEMS TO BE PART
OF A VOCAL MINORITY.

I FIND A GALLUP POLL SAYING
THAT THREE OUT OF FOUR AMERICANS

WANT THE COUNTRY TO PUSH HARDER
ON WIND AND SOLAR.

WHY IS TAYLOR SO INTENT
ON STOPPING THAT?

YOU'LL WIN THEM BACK.
DON'T WORRY. TRUST ME.

WHO IS THIS GUY?

Holton: GOT TO KEEP AN EYE OUT
FOR GOLFERS.

HOPEFULLY, THEY'RE SENDING THEM
OFF THE OTHER WAY.

[ LAUGHS ]

I DON'T WANT TO GET HIT
IN THE BACK OF THE HEAD.

IT WOULD TAKE
A VERY WEIRD SHOT

FOR US TO GET HIT
IN THE BACK OF THE HEAD.
[ CHUCKLES ]

Bittman: I'M A COLUMNIST
FOR "THE NEW YORK TIMES,"

AND I WRITE A LOT
ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE.

IN THE LAST FEW YEARS,
THERE'S BEEN GROWING EXCITEMENT

ABOUT NATURAL GAS AS A CLEAN
ALTERNATIVE TO COAL AND OIL.

AND IN CITIES LIKE FORT LUPTON,

THERE'S ANOTHER REASON
TO BE EXCITED --

ALL THE MONEY THAT'S FLOWING.

Holton: THIS IS AN OIL-AND-GAS
OPERATIONS AREA.

IT'S WITHIN 400 FEET, 300 FEET
OF RESIDENTIAL HOMES --

ON THE GOLF COURSE.

NO COMPLAINTS,
NO PROBLEMS?

"THIS IS THE WAY IT IS,"
AND PEOPLE ARE OKAY WITH THAT?

IF THERE WERE
ANY COMPLAINTS,

I CAN GUARANTEE YOU THAT
THEY'D BE CALLING THE MAYOR.

[ LAUGHS ]
SO I WOULD HEAR THAT.

WHEN I FIRST GOT ELECTED,

WE WERE HAVING FORECLOSURES
LEFT AND RIGHT,

JUST LIKE IT WAS
ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

2008, 2009?
YEAH.

AND WHEN I GOT IN,
THE OIL AND GAS CAME.

AND WHEN THAT CAME,
WE STARTED ADDING JOBS.

AND SO, IT MADE
A HUGE DIFFERENCE.

I MEAN, EVERYBODY'S UP AT LEAST
20% IN THEIR BUSINESS --

20% TO 30%.

WE'RE THE SAUDI ARABIA
OF NATURAL GAS.

JUST A FEW YEARS AGO, AMERICA'S
ENERGY FUTURE LOOKED UNCERTAIN.

THEN FRACKING CAME ALONG.

IT'S AN INTENSIVE PROCESS

WHERE MILLIONS OF GALLONS
OF WATER AND CHEMICALS

ARE INJECTED UNDERGROUND
TO BREAK UP THE ROCK

AND FREE COUNTLESS, TINY POCKETS
OF NATURAL GAS.

FOR THE FIRST TIME,
FRACKING MADE IT POSSIBLE

TO EXTRACT THE GAS FROM A TYPE
OF ROCK CALLED SHALE.

AROUND THE SAME TIME,

MASSIVE NEW SHALE FORMATIONS
WERE DISCOVERED.

SUDDENLY, AMERICA HAD
A NEW DOMESTIC ENERGY SOURCE,

WORTH MORE THAN $10 TRILLION.

SOON, WE ARE FRACKING
AT AN ALMOST INCONCEIVABLE RATE,

DRILLING MORE THAN 35,000
NEW WELLS A YEAR.

I'VE HEARD LOTS OF COMPLAINTS
ABOUT FRACKING --

WATER CATCHING ON FIRE, TOXIC
CHEMICALS, EVEN EARTHQUAKES.

BUT, TO ME, IT SEEMED LIKE MAYBE
THE PROS OUTWEIGHED THE CONS.

NATURAL GAS, I LEARNED,

PRODUCES JUST HALF AS MUCH
CARBON DIOXIDE AS COAL.

AND WHEN IT COMES TO CLIMATE
CHANGE, THAT'S A BIG DIFFERENCE.

BUT NOT FAR FROM THE NATURAL-GAS
FIELDS OF FORT LUPTON,

A SCIENTIST WAS MAKING
A SURPRISING DISCOVERY

THAT WOULD CHALLENGE
THE CONVENTIONAL WISDOM

ABOUT NATURAL GAS.

Petron:
WE STARTED DOING MEASUREMENTS
IN THE DENVER BASIN,

NORTH OF DENVER, IN 2008.

WE HAD EQUIPPED A TOWER

WITH INSTRUMENTS
TO MEASURE METHANE,

CARBON DIOXIDE,
AND A FEW OTHER GASES,

AND WE NOTICED
INTERESTING READINGS.

WE HAD A SIGNAL THERE
WE HAD NEVER SEEN BEFORE.

WOW.
DRAMATIC.

YEAH, VERY.
VERY FAST.

Bittman: IN 2008, GABBY PETRON,
A TOP GOVERNMENT SCIENTIST

AT THE NATIONAL OCEANIC
AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION,

COULDN'T BELIEVE
WHAT SHE WAS SEEING --

HIGH LEVELS OF METHANE,
A GREENHOUSE GAS

UP TO 80 TIMES MORE POWERFUL
THAN CARBON DIOXIDE.

Petron: ENHANCED METHANE,
PROPANE, BUTANE --

ALMOST IN EVERY SAMPLE.

METHANE IS A STRONG
GREENHOUSE GAS.

AND I HAD NEVER SEEN
THESE KIND OF MEASUREMENTS.

SO WE'RE LIKE, "OKAY, LET'S TRY
TO UNDERSTAND BETTER

WHAT THIS TOWER'S
TELLING US."

AND WE STARTED
DRIVING AROUND.

PETRON NEEDED TO FIND OUT WHERE
THE METHANE WAS COMING FROM,

SO SHE TURNED THIS OLD VAN

INTO A HIGH-TECH MOBILE
METHANE DETECTOR.

SOON, SHE WAS CRISSCROSSING

VAST STRETCHES
OF NORTHEASTERN COLORADO,

TAKING THOUSANDS
OF MEASUREMENTS.

Petron: CLEAR.

SHE THOUGHT THE METHANE
MIGHT BE COMING FROM LANDFILLS

OR THE 2.6 MILLION COWS
IN THE AREA.

BUT THE SOURCE TURNED OUT TO BE
SOMETHING SHE DIDN'T EXPECT.

METHANE...

METHANE IS RIGHT THERE.

BUT LOOK AT THESE LEVELS.

THERE'S NO QUESTIONING WHERE
THE METHANE IS COMING FROM.

IT'S NATURAL GAS. OKAY.
DEFINITELY.

Petron: WE SAW A LOT OF EMITTERS
IN THESE OIL AND GAS FIELDS.

EVERY WELL PAD
HAD SOME KIND OF SIGNATURE.

Bittman: WHAT SHE WAS FINDING
WAS ALARMING.

BUT WAS ENOUGH METHANE LEAKING
TO MAKE IT A SERIOUS PROBLEM?

TO FIND OUT,
SHE NEEDED MORE DATA.

[ AIRPLANE WHIRS ]

Ferrera: JAMES TAYLOR
IS A SENIOR FELLOW

AT THE HEARTLAND INSTITUTE,
A LIBERTARIAN THINK TANK.

THEY PROMOTE RIGHT-WING VIEWS
ON ALL KINDS OF ISSUES.

BUT WHAT
THEY'RE REALLY FAMOUS FOR

IS DENYING
MAN-MADE CLIMATE CHANGE.

RIGHT NOW, TAYLOR'S FOCUS

IS TRYING TO REPEAL
RENEWABLE-ENERGY LAWS

ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.

BUT HOW DOES SOMEONE LIKE HIM

INFLUENCE LEGISLATION
IN DOZENS OF STATES?

I FOUND OUT TAYLOR IS WORKING
WITH A POWERFUL GROUP

CALLED THE AMERICAN LEGISLATIVE
EXCHANGE COUNCIL -- OR A.L.E.C.

THE NAME SOUNDS DULL, BUT
A.L.E.C.'s MEMBERS HAVE INCLUDED

SOME OF THE BIGGEST FOSSIL-FUEL
COMPANIES IN THE WORLD,

AS WELL AS THOUSANDS OF MOSTLY
REPUBLICAN STATE LEGISLATORS.

TOGETHER, BEHIND CLOSED DOORS,
THEY WRITE BILLS

THAT THE LEGISLATORS THEN TAKE
HOME TO THEIR INDIVIDUAL STATES

AND TRY TO GET PASSED.

A.L.E.C. BOASTS THAT
MORE THAN 100 OF ITS BILLS

BECOME REAL LAWS EVERY YEAR.

ARIZONA'S HARSH IMMIGRATION LAW
STARTED ITS LIFE

AS AN A.L.E.C. BILL.

SO DID THE CONTROVERSIAL
"STAND YOUR GROUND" LAW

THAT WAS ENACTED
IN MORE THAN TWO DOZEN STATES.

AND WE'RE GOING
TO THE STATE CAPITAL, PLEASE.

AND THEN, THERE'S
THE ELECTRICITY FREEDOM ACT,

CO-WRITTEN BY JAMES TAYLOR.

IT SEEKS TO REPEAL
RENEWABLE-ENERGY STANDARDS

ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.

TODAY, HE'S IN KANSAS.

Taylor:
MANY STATES ARE ON THE VERGE

OF ROLLING BACK
THEIR RENEWABLE-POWER MANDATES.

THEY'RE VERY CLOSE, ESPECIALLY
SINCE THE FRACKING REVOLUTION,

WHERE WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO PRODUCE
MORE NATURAL GAS.

AND, OFTENTIMES, WHEN ONE STATE
TAKES THAT FIRST STEP,

THAT ENABLES OTHERS TO FOLLOW.

I THINK KANSAS IS GOING TO BE
ONE OF THOSE STATES

THAT IS GOING TO SET THE TONE
IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS.

Ferrera: AND WITH HEARTLAND
AND A.L.E.C. AT HIS BACK,

TAYLOR HAS DIRECT ACCESS
TO LAWMAKERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

Taylor: SO MY FRIENDS
DENNIS HEDKE AND FORREST KNOX

HERE IN THE KANSAS LEGISLATURE,

WE SHARE IDEAS
ON A FREQUENT BASIS,

AND WE'RE MEETING TOGETHER
TO DISCUSS THOSE ISSUES.

GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN.

Ferrera:
DENNIS HEDKE IS THE CHAIRMAN

OF THE HOUSE ENERGY
AND ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE

AND A MEMBER OF A.L.E.C.

HE'S TRYING TO PUT A STOP TO
KANSAS' RENEWABLE-ENERGY MANDATE

WITH A BILL INSPIRED BY TAYLOR'S
ELECTRICITY FREEDOM ACT.

THESE RENEWABLE-POWER MANDATES,
HERE IN KANSAS AND ELSEWHERE,

THEY'RE REQUIRING YOU
TO DISMANTLE POWER PLANTS

THAT ARE IN EXISTENCE.

ELECTRICITY DEMAND -- IT'S ONLY
GROWING AT ABOUT 1% PER YEAR.

SO IF YOU WERE TO GET
TO 20% BY 2020,

IT MEANS YOU HAVE
TO TAKE OUT EXISTING,

PERFECTLY GOOD POWER FACILITIES

IN ORDER TO BUILD MORE OF THE
WIND AND SOLAR TO MAKE THE 20%.

A LOT OF FOLKS REALLY
JUST CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH.

THAT'S THE WAY IT IS,
BUT WE GOT TO TRY OUR BEST.

THAT'S A GREAT POINT.

Hedke: HEARTLAND INTRODUCES ME
TO IDEAS AND CONCEPTS

THAT I WOULDN'T
GENERALLY HAVE KNOWN.

THEY HAVE STUDIED THE ISSUES
IN SIGNIFICANT DETAIL,

AND SO,
THEY MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS

TO POLICY MAKERS LIKE MYSELF.

SO THAT'S THE VALUE TO ME IS,

IT SAVES ME TIME --
BIG SAVINGS OF TIME.

Taylor:
ANYTHING I CAN DO TO HELP

IN TERMS
OF PROVIDING INFORMATION

OR REACHING OUT TO PEOPLE,
JUST LET ME KNOW.

HAPPY TO DO IT.

YEAH.
THANK YOU.

Ferrera:
SO, IF FORCES SUCCEED

IN ROLLING BACK THE
RENEWABLE-ENERGY STANDARD,

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN
FOR WIND FARMERS?

THE ROLLBACK WOULD HAVE
HUGE EFFECT

ON FARMERS AND RANCHERS

WHO THEN WOULD NO LONGER
HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY

THAT I HAD TO HAVE A WIND FARM
ON THEIR PROPERTY.

THEY HAVE A DROUGHT.
THEY HAVE NO OTHER OPTION.

THEY'RE JUST DONE.

Bittman:
AROUND THE SAME TIME

THAT GABBY PETRON WAS DRIVING
HER VAN ACROSS COLORADO,

ANOTHER SCIENTIST AT
CORNELL UNIVERSITY IN NEW YORK

WAS STARTING AN INVESTIGATION
OF HIS OWN.

Ingraffea:
OF COURSE, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE

THAT WE'RE ACCOUNTING FOR

ALL THE METHANE
THAT MIGHT BE FLOWING

INTO THE VOLUME
OVER THAT AREA.

Bittman: TONY INGRAFFEA

IS A PROFESSOR
OF STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING

AND AN EXPERT
AT ROCK-FRACTURE MECHANICS.

HE SPENT MANY YEARS CONSULTING
FOR THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY,

BUT NOW HE'S ONE OF
THE INDUSTRY'S BIGGEST CRITICS.

IT ALL STARTED A FEW YEARS AGO,

WHEN HE DECIDED
TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK

AT WHAT HAPPENS TO NATURAL GAS
WHEN IT LEAKS INTO THE AIR.

NATURAL GAS IS,
ESSENTIALLY, METHANE -- CH4 --

THE SIMPLEST OF ALL
OF THE HYDROCARBONS.

IT'S COLORLESS, IT'S ODORLESS,
IT'S TASTELESS.

METHANE, WHEN IT'S BURNED,
PRODUCES LESS CARBON DIOXIDE

PER UNIT OF ENERGY
PRODUCED THAN COAL OR OIL.

IT'S LESS DIRTY. OKAY.

IT'S LESS DIRTY
THAN COAL OR OIL BY FAR.

NO QUESTION ABOUT THAT.

BUT THE PROBLEM
WITH METHANE IS THAT

IF IT GETS INTO THE ATMOSPHERE
WITHOUT BEING BURNED,

IT BECOMES A VERY POTENT
GREENHOUSE GAS --

WORSE THAN CARBON DIOXIDE
BY FAR.

HOW MANY TIMES WORSE?

ASK THIS QUESTION.

I PUT A POUND OF CARBON DIOXIDE
IN THE ATMOSPHERE.

I PUT A POUND OF METHANE
INTO THE ATMOSPHERE.

IF YOU WAIT 20 YEARS,
METHANE IS ANYWHERE

FROM 72 TIMES
AND 105 TIMES MORE POTENT

THAN CARBON DIOXIDE.

WOW.

SO YOU'D HAVE TO LEAK
80 POUNDS OF CARBON DIOXIDE

TO DO THE SAME HARM
AS ONE POUND OF METHANE.

IT MAKES
FOR A THICKER BLANKET

THAN AN EQUIVALENT AMOUNT
OF CARBON DIOXIDE.

YES.
OKAY.

MAKES THE EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE
A BETTER GREENHOUSE.

THEREFORE,
WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE

WE DON'T LEAK
VERY MUCH METHANE.

ANY LEAKS MAKE NATURAL GAS
LESS CLEAN THAN ADVERTISED.

AND THE MORE IT LEAKS,
THE DIRTIER IT GETS.

THE QUESTION IS,
HOW MUCH METHANE CAN LEAK

BEFORE NATURAL GAS STARTS
TO GET AS BAD AS COAL,

THE DIRTIEST FOSSIL FUEL?

MOST EXPERTS SAY
THE THRESHOLD IS ABOUT 3%.

AS LONG AS NO MORE THAN 3%
OF THE NATURAL GAS WE PRODUCE

ENDS UP LEAKING
INTO THE ATMOSPHERE,

IT'S NOT NECESSARILY GOOD, BUT
IT'S STILL BETTER THAN COAL.

INGRAFFEA AND HIS TEAM
WANTED TO COLLECT

ALL THE DATA THEY COULD GET
THEIR HANDS ON

TO ESTIMATE JUST HOW MUCH
METHANE WAS LEAKING

ACROSS THE ENTIRE COUNTRY.

AND OVER A PERIOD
OF TWO YEARS,

WE GATHERED THE INFORMATION
WE COULD FROM THE E.P.A.,

FROM THE DEPARTMENT
OF ENERGY,

FROM INDUSTRY SOURCES.

WE PICK UP THE PHONE AND
CALL PEOPLE AT GAS COMPANIES

AND OIL COMPANIES
AND ASK THEM.

AND IN MOST CASES, THEY
WERE QUITE WILLING TO SAY,

"YEAH, HERE'S THE INFORMATION.
HERE'S THE DATA."

NO ONE HAD PIECED
ALL THIS TOGETHER BEFORE,

AND WHAT THEY FOUND
LOOKED LIKE VERY BAD NEWS.

WE PUBLISHED OUR PAPER,
AND WE SAID,

"LOOK, WE CONCLUDED
THAT AS AN UPPER BOUND,

"7.9% OF ALL THE GAS
PRODUCED BY A SHALE GAS WELL

"DURING ITS LIFETIME
WOULD NOT GET BURNED,

BUT WOULD GET EMITTED."

AT THE LOWER END,
WE SAID ABOUT 3.6%.

THAT'S THE RANGE.

IT COULD BE THIS MUCH.

BUT EVEN IF
IT'S ONLY THIS MUCH,

NATURAL GAS IS NOT ANY BETTER
THAN COAL OR OIL.

AND IF IT'S THIS MUCH,
IT'S WAY WORSE.

EVEN AT THE LOW END OF
THE RANGE, THE NEWS WAS BAD.

YES.

BUT, I EMPHASIZE,

WE WEREN'T GOING OUT
AND MEASURING ANYTHING.

WE DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES
TO DO THAT.

YOU WERE REALLY GUESSING

AT THE AMOUNT OF METHANE
THAT WAS LEAKING.

YOU REALLY DIDN'T KNOW
AT THAT TIME.

WE REALLY DIDN'T KNOW, BUT
I OBJECT TO THE WORD "GUESS."

WE WERE USING BEST-AVAILABLE
SCIENTIFIC-ESTIMATION METHODS

TO ESTIMATE,
BUT WE DIDN'T KNOW.

WE DON'T KNOW NOW.
NO ONE KNOWS.

EVEN SO, THE NATURAL-GAS
INDUSTRY MAINTAINS

THAT THE LEAK RATE
IS ONLY ABOUT 1%.

AND THEY DIDN'T TAKE KINDLY
TO INGRAFFEA'S RESULTS.

Ferrera:
AS I INVESTIGATE THE FUTURE

OF WIND AND SOLAR POWER
IN AMERICA,

I'M REALIZING THAT MANY
OF THE BIGGEST DECISIONS

AREN'T MADE IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

THEY'RE MADE IN STATE HOUSES,
LIKE THIS ONE.

THIS IS WHERE JAMES TAYLOR
HAS BEEN FOCUSING HIS ENERGY,

TRYING TO CONVINCE
LOCAL LAWMAKERS

THAT RENEWABLE ENERGY
IS TOO EXPENSIVE.

TODAY, I'M MEETING
KIMBERLY SWATTI.

SHE'S A CONSULTANT FOR THE WIND
INDUSTRY HERE IN KANSAS,

AND SHE'S BEEN ON THE FRONT
LINES OF THIS LOCAL BATTLE.

SO, ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS
THAT I HEAR IS THAT,

"IF MY STATE DECIDES
TO SWITCH TO WIND OR SOLAR,

ULTIMATELY, I'M GONNA
END UP PAYING FOR IT.

MY UTILITY BILL IS GONNA GO
THROUGH THE ROOF."

IS THAT TRUE?

WE HAVE SEEN,
IN THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS,

AS THE UTILITIES HAVE BOUGHT
MORE RENEWABLE ENERGY

AND THEY'VE INTEGRATED
ONTO THEIR SYSTEM,

THE PRICE IMPACT HAS BEEN
"DE MINIMIS" IS WHAT THEY SAY --

0% TO 1.7% IMPACT.

SO NOT IN KANSAS.

YOUR RATES WILL NOT GO UP
IN KANSAS.

IT'S NO SURPRISE

THAT SWATTI WOULD SAY
GOOD THINGS ABOUT WIND,

BUT A REPORT BY THE STATE
OF KANSAS ITSELF BACKS HER UP.

AND WHILE IT'S TRUE
THAT IN SOME STATES,

RENEWABLE ENERGY ISN'T AS CHEAP
AS FOSSIL FUELS,

PRICES ARE FALLING
INCREDIBLY FAST.

WIND AND SOLAR DROPPED
BY MORE THAN 50%

JUST BETWEEN 2008 AND 2012.

AND HERE IN KANSAS,
WIND HAS ALSO GENERATED

TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS
FOR LANDOWNERS,

BROUGHT IN BILLIONS
IN INVESTMENT,

AND HELPED CREATE
OVER 12,000 JOBS.

THE FORCES THAT ARE INTERESTED
IN PULLING BACK

ARE PRIMARILY
EXTERNAL FORCES.

AND WHO ARE THEY?

WE'VE SEEN ORGANIZATIONS
LIKE THE HEARTLAND INSTITUTE

THAT HAS COME INTO KANSAS

AND PUT OUT INFORMATION
THAT IS MISLEADING

ABOUT THE COST OF WIND
AND RENEWABLES.

AND WHAT IS IT
THAT THEY'RE SAYING

ABOUT THE COST
OF RENEWABLE?

THEY'RE SAYING THAT RENEWABLE
ENERGY COSTS A LOT MORE

THAN WHAT IT REALLY DOES
IN KANSAS.

AND I'M SEVENTH-GENERATION
KANSAN,

AND THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT
PLACE FOR ME.

WE HAVE GOOD THINGS
HAPPENING HERE RIGHT NOW.

AND IT'S VERY FRUSTRATING
TO SEE PEOPLE COME IN

AND PROVIDE INFORMATION

THAT'S NOT ACCURATE
FOR OUR STATE,

TO TRY AND UNDERMINE POLICIES

THAT HAVE ABSOLUTELY
WORKED FOR OUR STATE.

Taylor: WE'D LIKE TO PRESENT
THE FACTS ON VARIOUS TOPICS --

ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT,
BUDGET AND TAX --

TO PEOPLE WHO ARE INFLUENTIAL.

IF YOU ARE A STATE LEGISLATOR
HERE IN COLORADO

OR YOU HAVE BEEN
A STATE LEGISLATOR,

COULD YOU JUST RAISE YOUR HAND
OR...?

[ APPLAUSE ]

THERE ARE A FEW MORE.

IT'S OUR PRIVILEGE TO HAVE
WITH US IN PERSON,

THE REAL JAMES TAYLOR.

[ APPLAUSE ]

Ferrera:
GOING TO A HEARTLAND EVENT

FEELS LIKE ENTERING
AN ALTERNATE UNIVERSE.

Taylor:
THERE ARE HUNDREDS UPON HUNDREDS
OF PEER-REVIEWED STUDIES

THAT SHOW THAT HUMANS
ARE NOT CAUSING --

GLOBAL WARMING IS NOT CAUSING
AN INCREASE

IN EXTREME-WEATHER EVENTS.

DON'T LET ANYBODY
TELL YOU DIFFERENTLY.

Ferrera: IN REALITY,

THE SCIENTIFIC CONSENSUS
ON CLIMATE CHANGE

IS EFFECTIVELY UNANIMOUS.

Man: IT IS EXTREMELY LIKELY
THAT HUMANS ARE MOSTLY TO BLAME

FOR TEMPERATURES THAT HAVE BEEN
CLIMBING NOW FOR DECADES.

HOW SURE ARE THESE SCIENTISTS?
THEY SAY ABOUT 95% CERTAIN.

AND, IN SCIENCE,
95% IS PRETTY DARN CERTAIN.

Ferrera:
THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL
ON CLIMATE CHANGE, OR IPCC,

BRINGS TOGETHER
THOUSANDS OF SCIENTISTS

FROM MORE THAN 50 COUNTRIES.

THEIR LATEST REPORT MIGHT BE

THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE
SCIENTIFIC ASSESSMENT

IN HISTORY,
AND ITS CONCLUSIONS ARE DIRE.

BUT TO CHALLENGE
THE FINDINGS OF THE IPCC,

HEARTLAND AND OTHERS SET UP
THEIR OWN GROUP, THE NIPCC.

WE ARE PRODUCING.
LOOK FOR IT --

THE NONGOVERNMENTAL
INTERNATIONAL PANEL

ON CLIMATE CHANGE,
THE UPDATED REPORT,

"CLIMATE CHANGE RECONSIDERED,"
EXPLAINING WHAT'S GOING ON.

Ferrera: HEARTLAND EVEN CAME UP

WITH A BILLBOARD CAMPAIGN
IN 2012,

OVER A BUSY CHICAGO HIGHWAY

THAT EQUATED PEOPLE
WHO BELIEVE IN GLOBAL WARMING

WITH TERRORISTS.

I'M STARTING TO WONDER, WHO'S
BEHIND THE HEARTLAND INSTITUTE?

SO I'M HEADING TO CALIFORNIA

TO MEET TWO PEOPLE WHO HAVE
STUDIED HEARTLAND FOR YEARS.

Bittman: I'M ON MY WAY TO MEET
WITH MARK BOLING,

A TOP EXECUTIVE
WITH SOUTHWESTERN ENERGY,

THE FIFTH-LARGEST NATURAL-GAS
PRODUCER IN THE NATION.

I WANT TO ASK HIM
ABOUT DR. INGRAFFEA'S PAPER,

WHICH ESTIMATED
THAT MORE THAN 3%

OF ALL THE NATURAL GAS PRODUCED
IN THE U.S. IS LEAKING.

WE ARE NOT GOING TO LET THOSE
PROFITS GO UP IN THE AIR.

SO THAT'S PART --
I'M NOT SURE

WHETHER THAT'S THE REAL ANSWER
TO YOUR QUESTION,

BUT IT'S --
FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE,

FROM INDUSTRY'S PERSPECTIVE,
IT WAS,

"WELL, OF COURSE,
IT CAN'T BE THAT HIGH.

"WE'D BE FIRED

IF WE ALLOWED OUR LEAK RATE
TO BE THAT HIGH."

IT'S OBVIOUSLY A TOUCHY SUBJECT,

BECAUSE HE'S THE ONLY
INDUSTRY OFFICIAL

WHO WOULD AGREE
TO TALK ON CAMERA.

AND HE WANTS TO SHOW ME
HOW PREVENTING LEAKS

IS JUST SMART BUSINESS.

THAT'S WHERE WE CAPTURE
ALL OF THE GAS

FROM THE MINUTE
THAT IT COMES BACK

FROM A HYDRAULIC
FRACTURING FLOWBACK

AND PUT IT RIGHT
INTO THE SALES LINE.

SEVERAL YEARS AGO,

SOUTHWESTERN STARTED DOING WHAT
IT CALLED "GREEN COMPLETIONS"

TO CAPTURE GASES,
INCLUDING METHANE,

THAT WOULD OTHERWISE ESCAPE
INTO THE AIR.

THE OLD WAY WE USED TO DO IT,
LIKE THIS,

WE WOULD VENT PROBABLY
16 MILLION CUBIC FEET OF GAS

ON AVERAGE FROM EACH WELL
THAT WE ARE NOW CAPTURING.

MULTIPLY THAT BY THE AMOUNT
OF MONEY YOU MAKE

PER THOUSAND CUBIC FEET --
IT PAYS FOR ITSELF.

Bittman:
SO YOU'RE MAKING MONEY ON IT,

'CAUSE YOU'RE SELLING
THE 16 MILLION CUBIC FEET

THAT YOU'RE CAPTURING.
ABSOLUTELY.

AIR COMBINED WITH FRESH SNOW,
AND YOU KIND OF...

BOLING SAYS INGRAFFEA'S RESEARCH

JUST FOCUSED
ON THE DIRTIEST WELLS.

WHEN I LOOKED AT SOME
OF THE ASSUMPTIONS THEY USED

TO COME UP WITH THEIR NUMBERS,
AND I GO, "OH, WELL..."

THE STUDY LOST CREDIBILITY
WITH ME IN THAT REGARD.

AND THE KIND OF WORK
THAT WAS PUT INTO IT

WAS REALLY WASN'T
WHAT IT SHOULD BE

TO COME OUT AND MAKE
THOSE STATEMENTS LIKE,

"HEY, NATURAL GAS
IS DIRTIER THAN COAL."

THAT JUST DIDN'T SEEM RIGHT
TO ME.

AFTER TALKING TO BOLING,
I TRY TO FIND OUT

HOW MANY OTHER COMPANIES

ARE ACTUALLY DOING
GREEN COMPLETIONS.

NO ONE SEEMS TO KNOW,
NOT EVEN THE GOVERNMENT.

NEVERTHELESS,
WHEN IT COMES TO METHANE LEAKS,

THE GOVERNMENT
MORE OR LESS AGREES

WITH THE INDUSTRY ESTIMATES.

THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY SAYS THE LEAK RATE

IS JUST 1.5% --
WELL BELOW THE 3% THRESHOLD.

I WANTED TO FIND OUT
HOW THEY GET THAT NUMBER,

BUT FOR SOME REASON,

THE E.P.A. DECLINED TO TALK
TO ME ON CAMERA.

[ CELLPHONE RINGS ]

BUT THEN I FOUND
A FORMER E.P.A. OFFICIAL

WHO W WILLING TO TALK,

AND HE EXPLAINED HOW THE AGENCY
COMES UP WITH ITS ESTIMATES,

WHICH ARE OFFICIALLY CALLED
"EMISSION INVENTORIES."

I'VE WORKED 38 YEARS
WITH E.P.A.,

AND ACTUALLY FORMULATED
THE TECHNIQUES

FOR DEVELOPING
EMISSION INVENTORIES.

I WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THEM
RIGHT FROM THE START.

THEY'RE, OF NECESSITY,
GUESSES.

THAT'S BECAUSE THE E.P.A.

DOESN'T DO
COMPREHENSIVE MEASUREMENTS.

AS CRAZY AS IT SOUNDS,
WHEN THE E.P.A. SAYS

METHANE EMISSIONS ARE GOING DOWN
IN THE U.S.,

THEY'RE PRETTY MUCH TAKING
THE GAS INDUSTRY'S WORD FOR IT.

ALL THESE EMISSION
INVENTORIES, BY THE WAY,

ARE DERIVED FROM
INDUSTRY-SUPPORTED DATA.

SO WHEN E.P.A. PUBLISHES
ESTIMATES OF LEAKS OF METHANE,

THAT DATA IS COMING
FROM INDUSTRY?

INDUSTRY, RIGHT.

IS IT AT ALL
INDEPENDENTLY VERIFIED?

NO. NO.

YOU KNOW, MARK,
IN MY EXPERIENCE

DEVELOPING AND MAINTAINING
EMISSION INVENTORIES

NATIONALLY
FOR MANY YEARS,

EVERY TIME WE LOOKED FURTHER,
WE FOUND MORE EMISSIONS.

AND EVERY TIME THERE WAS
SOME SORT OF LARGE GROWTH

AT A PARTICULAR INDUSTRY,

THERE WERE
UNFORESEEN EMISSIONS.

AND WE'RE IN THE SAME
SITUATION TODAY, CERTAINLY,

WITH THE GAS DRILLING
THAT'S GOING ON NOW.

THE EXTENSIVENESS OF IT
IS UNBELIEVABLE.

BUT E.P.A.'s RECENTLY
LOWERED THEIR ESTIMATE

OF METHANE-LEAK RATE.

WELL, WHERE DID
THE DATA COME FROM?

[ CHUCKLES ]

THE DATA CAME
FROM THE INDUSTRY.
RIGHT.

NOW, THAT'S LIKE FARMER JOHN
SENDS THE FOX OUT TO SAY,

"HOW MANY CHICKENS
DO I HAVE?"

AND HE COMES BACK
AND SAYS,

"YOU GOT 10 LESS CHICKENS
THIS YEAR

THAN YOU HAD LAST YEAR."

[ CHUCKLES ] YES.

IT SEEMED LIKE EVERYONE WAS
GUESSING ABOUT METHANE LEAKS.

BUT IN COLORADO,
GABBY PETRON'S RESEARCH

WAS FINALLY YIELDING
SOME CONCRETE RESULTS.

Ferrera: I'VE COME TO CALIFORNIA
TO MEET WITH LISA GRAVES,

THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR THE
CENTER FOR MEDIA AND DEMOCRACY,

AND BRENDAN DeMELLE,

WHO RUNS AN INVESTIGATIVE
WEBSITE CALLED DeSmogBlog.

THEY'VE MADE IT THEIR BUSINESS
TO LEARN AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE

ABOUT THE HEARTLAND INSTITUTE

AND OTHER GROUPS
THAT DENY CLIMATE CHANGE.

DeMelle: HEARTLAND HAS
THIS STORIED HISTORY

OF ATTACKING
CLIMATE CHANGE.

THEY'VE SORT OF MOLDED
THEIR POSITION

TO FIT THE TIMES.

ORIGINALLY, THEY STARTED OUT
AS OUTRIGHT DENIERS,

SAYING, "IT'S NOT HAPPENING.
IT'S A HOAX."

AND WHEN THE SCIENCE
WAS CLEAR, YOU KNOW,

THEY SORT OF SHIFTED TO,
"WELL, IF IT'S HAPPENING,

IT'S NOT THAT BIG
OF A DEAL,"

TO, "ACTUALLY,
IT MIGHT BE GOOD FOR US.

IT MIGHT BE BENEFICIAL."

AND THAT'S WHERE
JAMES TAYLOR REALLY --

YOU KNOW,
HIS POSITION IS THAT

GLOBAL WARMING WILL BE
BENEFICIAL FOR HUMANS.

THE SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE
IS REALLY AGAINST THEM,

BUT THEY SAY THINGS SO BOLDLY
AND STRIDENTLY

THAT IT MAKES
SOME PEOPLE BELIEVE

THAT THEY MUST BE
TELLING THE TRUTH.

SO, WHO ARE HEARTLAND'S
SUPPORTERS?

WHERE DO THEY
GET THEIR FUNDING?

WELL, THERE'S A NUMBER
OF THINGS WE KNOW

ABOUT THE HEARTLAND'S
FUNDING

AND SOME THAT WE DON'T,
BECAUSE AS OF 2007,

THEY DON'T DISCLOSE
THEIR DONORS.

ONE THING THEY DO KNOW IS THAT
HEARTLAND IS JUST A SMALL PART

OF A VAST CLIMATE-DENIAL NETWORK

WITH HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS
OF DOLLARS BEHIND IT.

THROUGH A COMBINATION
OF PUBLIC TAX RECORDS

AND LEAKED INTERNAL DOCUMENTS,

A LOT OF THE MONEY
HAS BEEN TRACKED BACK

TO TWO MAJOR SOURCES --

EXXON MOBIL,
THE WORLD'S LARGEST OIL COMPANY,

GAVE AT LEAST $27.4 MILLION
TO CLIMATE-DENIAL GROUPS

BETWEEN 1998 AND 2010,

INCLUDING HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS
OF DOLLARS TO HEARTLAND,

AND FOSSIL-FUEL BILLIONAIRES
CHARLES AND DAVID KOCH,

WHO OWN KOCH INDUSTRIES,

HAVE FUNNELED MORE THAN
$72 MILLION TO THE CAUSE

THROUGH A DIZZYING ARRAY
OF FOUNDATIONS AND FRONT GROUPS.

BUT RECENTLY,
THE MONEY TRAIL HAS GONE COLD.

FOUNDATIONS OR COMPANIES
THAT GAVE MONEY DIRECTLY

ARE NOW, THROUGH THIS MECHANISM
CALLED DONORS TRUST

AND THE DONORS CAPITAL FUND,
ABLE TO SHIELD THEIR DONORS.

WHICH MAKES IT HARDER
FOR THE PUBLIC

TO PUT PRESSURE ON THOSE
FUNDERS TO NOT SUPPORT --

HOW DO YOU HOLD SOMEONE
ACCOUNTABLE

IF YOU DON'T KNOW
WHO THEY ARE?

DONORS TRUST
AND DONORS CAPITAL FUND

ACT AS MIDDLEMEN
BETWEEN WEALTHY DONORS

AND GROUPS THEY WANT
TO SECRETLY FUND.

THE DONORS ARE ABLE
TO REMAIN ANONYMOUS.

MUCH OF HEARTLAND'S FUNDING

NOW COMES FROM A SINGLE,
ANONYMOUS DONOR.

AND WITH THE HELP
OF DONORS TRUST,

MORE MONEY IS POURING
INTO CLIMATE DENIAL

THAN EVER BEFORE --

A STAGGERING $558 MILLION
JUST BETWEEN 2003 AND 2010.

AND BRENDAN AND LISA TELL ME
THAT CLIMATE CHANGE

ISN'T THE ONLY ISSUE

WHERE HEARTLAND HAS BEEN
ON THE WRONG SIDE OF SCIENCE.

ONE OF THE THINGS
WE'VE SEEN WITH HEARTLAND

AND WITH THE OTHER GROUPS IS A
REAL EFFORT TO MUDDY THE WATERS,

AND THAT'S RIGHT OUT

OF THE TOBACCO COMPANIES'
BIG PR PLAYBOOK.

IN 1969, A TOBACCO EXECUTIVE
WROTE A MEMO

IN WHICH HE SAID THAT
"DOUBT IS OUR PRODUCT."

IF THEY WERE GONNA CONFUSE
THE PUBLIC,

THEY NEEDED TO SUGGEST
TO THEM

THAT THERE'S NO LINK
BETWEEN TOBACCO AND CANCER.

"SO WE'RE GONNA SELL
THIS IDEA

"THAT THERE'S CONFUSION
AMONG SCIENTISTS

AND CONTINUE TO PERPETUATE DOUBT
IN THE PUBLIC MIND."

AND HEARTLAND WAS ONE
OF THE KEY PLAYERS IN THAT.

Ferrera: IN THE '90s, WITH
FUNDING FROM PHILIP MORRIS,

HEARTLAND TRIED
TO DISCREDIT THE SCIENCE

LINKING SECONDHAND SMOKE
TO CANCER.

IN A FUNDRAISING LETTER,
HEARTLAND'S PRESIDENT BOASTED

ABOUT HOW VALUABLE
THE ORGANIZATION WAS

TO TOBACCO COMPANIES.

AND MANY OF THE SAME SCIENTISTS
NOW DENYING CLIMATE CHANGE

GOT THEIR START
DEFENDING CIGARETTES.

BRENDAN, CAN YOU TELL US MORE
ABOUT WHO JAMES TAYLOR IS?

SURE.
SO JAMES TAYLOR --

HIS EXPERTISE IS
IN THE LAW.

YOU KNOW, HE'S A LAWYER.
HE'S A GREAT TALKER.

YOU KNOW, HE'S
A VERY PERSONABLE GUY.

BUT IT'S KIND
OF SHOCKING TO ME

THAT ANYONE WOULD RELY
ON A LAWYER

TO GIVE THEM ADVICE
ABOUT SCIENCE MATTERS.

YOU KNOW, IT'S KIND OF LIKE
ASKING YOUR DENTIST

WHAT TO DO ABOUT
YOUR HEART CONDITION.

YOU KNOW, HE MIGHT HAVE

SOME INTERESTING THINGS
TO SAY ABOUT IT,

BUT HE'S PROBABLY
NOT THE SPECIALIST

YOU SHOULD BE
LISTENING TO.

EVER SINCE I STARTED FOLLOWING
THIS BATTLE OVER RENEWABLES,

I'VE WANTED TO MEET JAMES TAYLOR
FACE-TO-FACE.

I GET MY CHANCE WHEN HE AGREES
TO MEET IN NEW YORK.

Bittman:
AFTER MORE THAN TWO YEARS,

DRIVING AROUND
COLLECTING SAMPLES,

GABBY PETRON HAD A WEALTH
OF DATA SHOWING LEAKS

THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE
NATURAL-GAS SYSTEM

IN THE DENVER BASIN.

Bittman: WHAT'D YOU DO
WITH THAT INFORMATION?

WHERE DID THAT GO?

WE WROTE A PAPER,

AND WE ESTIMATED AT THE TIME
THAT, ON AVERAGE,

4% OF THE GAS THAT WAS EXTRACTED
FROM THE GROUND

ENDED UP IN THE ATMOSPHERE
INSTEAD OF IN THE PIPELINE.

YOU'RE SHOWING A LEAK RATE

THAT'S MUCH, MUCH HIGHER
THAN E.P.A. ESTIMATES,

AND MINIMUM OF FOUR TIMES
AS HIGH

AS WHAT THE INDUSTRY SAYS
THERE IS.

THAT'S RIGHT.

BUT THIS
IS REAL INFORMATION...
RIGHT.

...PRODUCED BY SCIENTISTS,
USING REAL INSTRUMENTS.

AND PEER-REVIEWED.

PEER-REVIEWED, IMPARTIAL,
ET CETERA.

YOU PRESENT THIS INFORMATION
TO THE INDUSTRY,

AND THEY SAY WHAT?

THEY HAVE
A LOT OF QUESTIONS.

I DON'T THINK THAT EVERYBODY'S
HAPPY WITH WHAT WE FOUND.

HERE WAS AN INDEPENDENT STUDY

PRODUCED BY TOP
GOVERNMENT SCIENTISTS,

SUGGESTING THAT,
AT LEAST IN THE DENVER BASIN,

NATURAL GAS IS FAR FROM CLEAN.

NOT SURPRISINGLY,
THE INDUSTRY ARGUED

THAT PETRON'S RESULTS
WERE JUST AN OUTLIER,

A SINGLE SNAPSHOT
OF A VAST NATURAL-GAS SYSTEM.

Man:
THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GOING.

IT'S MAKING MEASUREMENTS
EVERY ONE SECOND.

Bittman: PRACTICALLY,

AS SOON AS WE STARTED
TO LEAVE VERNAL,

IT WENT UP.

YEAH,
IT'S STARTING TO GO UP.

THE UINTA BASIN IN EASTERN UTAH

IS HOME TO THOUSANDS
OF NATURAL GAS AND OIL WELLS

AND NOT MUCH ELSE.

I'M HERE WITH A TEAM
FROM PICARRO,

A COMPANY THAT'S WORKING
ON CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY

FOR MEASURING
METHANE EMISSIONS.

NORMALLY, THESE GUYS ARE HIRED
BY THE GAS COMPANIES THEMSELVES

TO FIND AND FIX LEAKS.

THIS TIME, THOUGH, THEY'RE
HEADING OUT ON THEIR OWN DIME.

THEY WANT TO KNOW IF THE METHANE
PROBLEM COULD POSSIBLY BE

AS BAD AS PETRON'S
NUMBERS SUGGEST.

AND TO FIND OUT,
THEY BROUGHT THE BIG GUNS --

EQUIPMENT THAT'S
1,000 TIMES MORE SENSITIVE

THAN WHAT MOST COMPANIES USE
TO DETECT METHANE.

THE BLUE DOTS
ARE NATURAL-GAS WELLS?

YES, OR NATURAL-GAS FACILITIES
OF ONE TYPE OR ANOTHER.

IT'S INSANE.

WE'RE DRIVING DOWN THIS ROAD,

AND WE TOOK
THAT RIGHT TURN...
MM-HMM.

AND THEN, WITHIN MINUTES,
FIRST, IT DOUBLED.

NOW IT'S CLOSE TO TRIPLE,
ISN'T IT?

NOW IT'S SITTING AT TRIPLE.
YEAH, THAT'S CORRECT.

IT TAKES TWO WEEKS
TO FULLY COVER THE AREA.

THEY FIND LEAKS EVERYWHERE.

THERE'S SO MUCH GAS IN THE AIR

THAT METHANE READINGS
ARE SKY-HIGH

OVER THE ENTIRE
700 SQUARE-MILE BASIN.

I WAS SURPRISED

BY WHAT GABBY PETRON SHOWED ME
IN COLORADO.

IT'S STARTING TO LOOK LIKE UTAH
IS EVEN WORSE.

Ferrera: WHAT IS YOUR POINT
OF VIEW?

WHERE DO YOU STAND
ON CLIMATE CHANGE?

WELL, WE KNOW THAT CARBON
DIOXIDE'S A GREENHOUSE GAS.

IF YOU ADD MORE
TO THE ATMOSPHERE,

YOU'RE GOING TO GET
SOME GLOBAL WARMING.

SO, YOU KNOW,
IT'S HUMAN NATURE

TO SEE CHANGE
AND FEAR CHANGE.

BUT THE BEST EVIDENCE
OUT THERE,

THE BEST SCIENTIFIC
EVIDENCE AND DATA

SHOW THAT THE MODERATE WARMING
THAT IS OCCURRING

IS BENEFICIAL
TO HUMAN WELFARE,

AS IT ALWAYS HAS BEEN
THROUGHOUT HUMAN HISTORY.

CAN YOU TALK TO ME
ABOUT WHO SUPPORTS YOU

AND THE HEARTLAND INSTITUTE,
WHO YOUR FUNDERS ARE?

YEAH, FIRST OF ALL,
WORKING ON POLICY ISSUES,

I MAKE IT A POINT
NOT TO KNOW.

I DON'T WANT THAT
TO INFLUENCE, YOU KNOW,

WHAT I WRITE AND THINK.

AND EVEN IF
I WANTED TO KNOW,

THE HEARTLAND INSTITUTE
PREVENTS ME FROM KNOWING IT.

YOU DON'T KNOW
WHO YOUR FUNDERS ARE?

I HAVE A GENERAL IDEA
OF SOME, OFTENTIMES,

BECAUSE SOME
GLOBAL-WARMING ACTIVIST

OR PEOPLE THAT DON'T LIKE
THE HEARTLAND INSTITUTE,

THEY ALL, YOU KNOW, ASSERT

THAT WE RECEIVED MONEY
FROM THIS GROUP OR THAT.

IN GENERAL TERMS,
WHAT I DO KNOW

IS THAT THE VAST MAJORITY
OF OUR FUNDING

COMES FROM PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS
AND FROM FOUNDATIONS.

AND IF YOU LOOK
AT CORPORATIONS

THAT HAVE A STAKE
IN THE ENERGY DEBATE --

ESPECIALLY
FOSSIL-FUEL COMPANIES --

THAT WOULD BE
A VERY SMALL PERCENTAGE.

WHY IS THIS SOMETHING
WORTH FIGHTING?

WHY IS
RENEWABLE ENERGY BAD?

YEAH.

PEOPLE LIKE TO TALK
ABOUT CARBON DIOXIDE

AND GLOBAL WARMING,

BUT THEY DON'T TALK ABOUT
THE 1.4 MILLION BIRDS AND BATS,

INCLUDING
MANY ENDANGERED SPECIES

THAT ARE KILLED
EACH YEAR BY WIND TURBINES.

ALSO, ACCORDING TO THE WIND
ENERGY INDUSTRY ITSELF,

IT REQUIRES 300 TO 600
SQUARE MILES OF WIND TURBINES

TO REPLACE A SINGLE
CONVENTIONAL POWER PLANT.

DON'T WE NEED THOSE THINGS

TO HELP US JUMP-START
A NEW ECONOMY

OR A NEW SOLUTION
TO FIGHTING A MODERN PROBLEM

LIKE CLIMATE CHANGE?

WELL, IF GLOBAL WARMING
WERE A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM,

THEN, CERTAINLY, WE WOULD
BE WISE TO LOOK INTO THAT.

BUT THE SCIENCE INDICATES

THAT IT'S NOT
A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM.

BUT, JAMES,
I'M REALLY CONFUSED,

BECAUSE 97%
OF CLIMATE SCIENTISTS SAY

THAT IT'S REAL
AND THAT IT'S A PROBLEM

AND THAT IT'S MAN-MADE.

AND YOU, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT,
YOU'RE A LAWYER, RIGHT?

I'M A LAWYER BY TRAINING.
I DON'T PRACTICE.

YOU'RE A LAWYER
BY TRAINING,

BUT YOU'RE NOT A SCIENTIST
BY TRAINING.

I'M A SCIENTIST BY TRAINING,
AS WELL.

YOU'RE A SCIENTIST?

I SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED

IVY LEAGUE
ATMOSPHERIC-SCIENCE COURSES,

SO I'M A SCIENTIST
BY TRAINING.

OKAY.

BUT LET'S GET
TO YOUR QUESTION.

WELL, MY QUESTION IS
THAT I'M CONFUSED,

BECAUSE THERE'S, OVER HERE,
KIND OF A MOUNTAIN OF EVIDENCE

THAT SUGGESTS
IT'S A PROBLEM,

IT'S MAN-MADE,
PEOPLE WILL SUFFER.

SO WHY FOCUS
ON THE SMALLER EVIDENCE

VERSUS
THE MOUNTING EVIDENCE?

WELL, I THINK
YOUR PREMISE IS WRONG.

IN FACT, MORE THAN
31,000 SCIENTISTS

SIGNED ON TO A LETTER,

A SUMMARY OF THE SCIENCE,
EXPLAINING WHY GLOBAL WARMING

IS NOT
A HUMAN-CAUSED CRISIS.

THAT LETTER
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT,

THAT'S THE OREGON PETITION?
YES, INDEED.

Ferrera: I'D HEARD ABOUT THIS
FROM BRENDAN AND LISA IN L.A.

THE OREGON PETITION.
Ferrera: RIGHT.

THAT'S, YOU KNOW, ONE OF
THE ORIGINAL SORT OF EFFORTS

BY THE DENIAL INDUSTRY
TO SUGGEST

THAT THEY HAD THOUSANDS
OF SCIENTISTS ON THEIR SIDE

THAT WOULD SAY THAT GLOBAL
WARMING IS NOT A PROBLEM.
RIGHT.

BUT THEN, AS YOU LOOK
THROUGH THOSE LISTS,

THERE WERE
FICTITIOUS NAMES.

EVERYONE
FROM "STAR WARS" CHARACTERS

TO A MEMBER OF THE SPICE GIRLS
HAVE SHOWN UP ON THAT LIST.

THERE CERTAINLY ARE
SOME SCIENTISTS.

YOU KNOW,
THEY'RE METEOROLOGISTS,

THEY'RE GEOLOGISTS,
THEY'RE BIOLOGISTS.

YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY PEOPLE
WITH EXPERTISE IN THEIR AREA,

BUT THEY'RE FAR OUTSIDE
THEIR SPECIALIZATION.

MOST OF THESE PEOPLE,
THEY'RE NOT CLIMATE SCIENTISTS.

AND THERE WAS A NAME ON IT

THAT WAS ONE
OF THE SPICE GIRLS.

WHO TOLD YOU THAT?

YOU'RE GETTING
BAD INFORMATION, AMERICA.
THERE WERE NAMES ON IT LIKE --

IF YOU LOOK
AT THE PETITION ITSELF,

IF YOU CONTACT THE SCIENTISTS
WHO PUT IT TOGETHER,

THEY WILL PRESENT
DOCUMENTATION.

THEY HAVE IT
ON THEIR WEBSITE.

MORE THAN 31,000 SCIENTISTS
HAVE SIGNED IT

AND IT'S DOCUMENTED.

IT'S DOCUMENTED.

[ CHUCKLES ]
OKAY.

AFTER MEETING JAMES,
I DID SOME MORE RESEARCH.

HIS "SCIENCE TRAINING" CONSISTS
OF A FEW UNDERGRADUATE CLASSES

HE TOOK OVER 25 YEARS AGO.

AS FOR THE OREGON PETITION,
IT TURNS OUT

ANYONE WITH AN UNDERGRADUATE
SCIENCE DEGREE

CAN ADD THEIR NAME.

THE WEBSITE BRAGS
ABOUT THE NUMBER OF SIGNATURES,

BUT LESS THAN 1% EVEN CLAIM

TO HAVE AN EXPERTISE
IN CLIMATE SCIENCE.

THE WHOLE THING SEEMS
KIND OF RIDICULOUS TO ME.

BUT WITH ALL THE MONEY
POURING IN,

THE DENIAL CAMPAIGN
SEEMS HARD TO COUNTER.

AND I WONDER HOW ALL THIS
WILL PLAY OUT IN KANSAS,

WHERE THE VOTE ON RENEWABLE
ENERGY IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN.

Crosson: WHEN WE GOT TO UTAH,
I WAS SHOCKED.

I HAVE NEVER -- AND I HAVE DONE
MEASUREMENTS ALL OVER THE WORLD.

I HAVE NEVER SEEN
THAT SITUATION EVER,

OVER HUNDREDS OF SQUARE MILES.

THE NUMBER OF LEAKS
IN UINTA IS STAGGERING.

Bittman: A FEW WEEKS
AFTER OUR TRIP TO UTAH,

ERIC CROSSON FROM PICARRO WAS
ANALYZING THE DATA WE COLLECTED.

WHAT HE'S FINDING
IS HARD TO FATHOM.

Crosson: WE DID A
BACK-OF-THE-ENVELOPE CALCULATION

AND CAME TO THE CONCLUSION

THAT THE LEAK RATE COMING OUT OF
THE UINTA BASIN WAS ABOUT 11%.

Bittman: UTAH, IN OTHER WORDS,
IS EVEN WORSE THAN COLORADO.

AND ON THE HEELS
OF PICARRO'S FINDINGS,

ANOTHER GROUP
OF N.O.A. SCIENTISTS

LOOKS AT METHANE EMISSIONS

COMING FROM A MIXTURE
OF OIL AND GAS WELLS

IN THE LOS ANGELES BASIN.

THEIR NUMBER...

17%.

Bittman:
WE HEAR INDUSTRY SAY,

"THERE'S JUST NOT THAT MUCH
IN THE WAY OF LEAKS.

"MAYBE WE'RE LOSING 1%.
IT'S NOT THAT HIGH.

IT'S NOT THAT BIG
OF A PROBLEM."

WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THAT?

THEY'RE WRONG.
THEY'RE JUST FLAT-OUT WRONG,

IN TERMS OF WHAT
THESE EMISSIONS ARE.

THE E.P.A.
IS FLAT-OUT WRONG, AS WELL.

BUT IT'S LIKE SO MANY
OTHER INACCURACIES IN LIFE.

IF YOU REPEAT THEM
OFTEN ENOUGH,

AND IF YOU REPEAT THEM
LOUD ENOUGH

AND YOU DEFEND THEM
VOCIFEROUSLY,

THEN THAT KIND OF BECOMES
ACCEPTED AS TRUTH.

LOS ANGELES BASIN --
UP TO 17%.

NOW, GRANTED,
THAT'S ONE BASIN.

UTAH WAS ANOTHER BASIN.

COLORADO
WAS ANOTHER BASIN.

BUT THESE BASINS
ARE STARTING TO LINE UP.

[ CHUCKLES ]
ALL THE DATA COMES OUT.

SO FAR...

DOESN'T BODE WELL
FOR THE FINAL ANSWER

LOOKING LIKE IT'S WAY LOW,

LIKE THE INDUSTRY SAYS,
"OH, LESS THAN 1%."

IMPOSSIBLE.
ABSOLUTELY IMPOSSIBLE.

N.O.A. MEASURED --

GOT LEVELS OF 17%
IN THE LOS ANGELES BASIN.

YOU KNOW, IT TAKES A LOT
OF 1% EMISSIONS

TO BRING THAT AVERAGE
BACK DOWN.

I CAN TELL YOU

THAT I LOOKED AT THE STUDIES
THAT N.O.A. DID,

AND I KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT
THE PICARRO INSTRUMENTATION.

AND I THINK
SOME OF THOSE NUMBERS,

THEY CERTAINLY CONCERN ME.

HOW COULD YOU SAY

THAT THAT METHANE EMISSION
RATE WAS 1.5%?

VERY, VERY DIFFICULT TO GET
THERE FROM HERE FOR THAT.

AFTER WHAT I'VE SEEN IN WORKING
ON THIS STORY FOR MONTHS,

THE 1% LEAK RATE
INDUSTRY-WIDE, COUNTRY-WIDE,

THAT REALLY SEEMS
LAUGHABLE.

NO QUESTION.
THERE'S WORK TO BE DONE.

BUT WE CAN ALL WASTE
OUR TIME ABOUT,

"IS IT 4%?
IS IT 8%? IS IT 1%?"

OR WE CAN ALL JUST SAY,

"I DON'T CARE WHAT ANYONE
THINKS IT IS.

LET'S GO OUT
AND FIX THE PROBLEM."

IT'S NICE TO HEAR SOMEONE
FROM THE INDUSTRY

AT LEAST ACKNOWLEDGE
THERE'S A PROBLEM.

PRESIDENT OBAMA
HAS ACKNOWLEDGED IT, TOO,

AND PROMISED TO STUDY IT.

AND, IN COLORADO,
THE ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND

SUCCESSFULLY CAMPAIGNED

FOR TOUGHER REGULATIONS
ON METHANE LEAKS.

BUT ACTUALLY FIXING THE PROBLEM
MIGHT NOT BE THAT EASY.

SOME SAY TECHNOLOGY
LIKE THE KIND I SAW

IN MARK BOLING'S FACILITY
IS THE ANSWER.

AND A STUDY LAST YEAR BY
THE ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND

SHOWED THAT THESE
SO-CALLED GREEN COMPLETIONS

CAN HELP QUITE A BIT.

BUT IN COLORADO,

WHERE MORE AND MORE WELLS
ARE DOING GREEN COMPLETIONS,

GABBY PETRON STILL HASN'T SEEN
METHANE EMISSIONS GO DOWN.

THEN I STARTED THINKING ABOUT

ALL THE PLACES ACROSS
THE COUNTRY WHERE GAS CAN LEAK.

NOT JUST THE HUNDREDS
OF THOUSANDS OF WELLS,

BUT A PIPELINE SYSTEM
1.5 MILLION MILES LONG

WITH TENS OF THOUSANDS
OF COMPRESSOR STATIONS,

COUNTLESS VALVES,
AND CORRODED PIPES

RUNNING UNDER TOWNS
AND CITIES EVERYWHERE --

EVEN UNDER THE VERY CITY

WHERE THE FUTURE OF NATURAL GAS
WILL BE DECIDED.

Jackson:
WE'LL CHECK THESE FIRST.

THIS ONE, WE CAN SMELL IT.

YEAH, YOU CAN SMELL IT
JUST WALKING UP.

[ METER BEEPING ]

OH, YEAH.

I THINK
IT'S ANSWERING MY INSTRUMENT.

11%.

THAT'S A DANGEROUS
CONCENTRATION.

IF THAT SPARKED,
THAT WOULD BLOW UP.

ROB JACKSON IS A SCIENTIST
WITH DUKE UNIVERSITY.

HE'S BEEN USING
PICARRO TECHNOLOGY

TO FIND METHANE LEAKS IN CITIES.

HE JUST FINISHED A STUDY
IN BOSTON

WHERE HE FOUND THOUSANDS
OF THEM,

AND NOW HE'S FINDING
THE SAME THING HERE.

THIS IS A PARTIAL MAP
OF THE CITY.

THE RED IS ALL THE ROAD MILES
IN THE CITY.

THE YELLOW ARE THE LEAKS,

AND YOU LITERALLY HAVE THOUSANDS
OF VERY SMALL LEAKS

SPREAD OUT ALL ACROSS THE CITY.

IT'S DEATH BY 1,000 CUTS.

[ METER BEEPING ]

SO THAT'S 45% GAS.

THAT'S ALMOST PURE METHANE
COMING OUT OF THE GROUND.

THERE'S SO MUCH METHANE THERE

THAT YOU ACTUALLY
COULDN'T LIGHT THAT,

BECAUSE THERE'S NOT
ENOUGH OXYGEN.

NOT THAT THAT'S MUCH
CONSOLATION.

Bittman: THERE'S A LOT MORE
WE STILL DON'T KNOW,

BUT FROM EVERYTHING I'VE SEEN,
IT SEEMS LIKE RIGHT NOW,

NATURAL GAS COULD BE MAKING
OUR CLIMATE PROBLEM WORSE

RATHER THAN BETTER.

I THINK WE NEED TO ASK OURSELVES
IF THAT'S A RISK WORTH TAKING,

BECAUSE THE NATURAL-GAS BOOM
IN THIS COUNTRY

IS JUST GETTING STARTED.

Ferrera: THE BILL
THAT WOULD DISMANTLE

KANSAS' CLEAN-ENERGY LAW
IS UP FOR A VOTE TODAY,

AND PETE FERRELL IS ON HIS WAY
TO LISTEN IN.

Man: IN APRIL 2009,
THIS LEGISLATURE PASSED MANDATES

TO "PROTECT" U.S. CITIZENS

FROM THE DANGERS OF A COLORLESS,
ODORLESS, TASTELESS

AND I SUBMIT TO YOU,
HARMLESS GAS KNOWN AS CO2.

THE EXISTING MANDATES
ARE WHY WE'RE HERE TODAY.

Rep. Garber:
POLITICAL WINDS SHIFT,

THE COMPOSITION
OF THE LEGISLATOR SHIFTS,

AND MAYBE IT SHIFTS
BECAUSE OF BAD DECISIONS

THAT WERE MADE BEFORE.

THIS IS ABOUT GENERATIONS
OF KANSANS TO COME.

Ferrera:
IF THE VOTE IS A "YES,"

KANSAS' RENEWABLE-ENERGY LAW
WILL BE REPEALED.

I'M IN SUPPORT
OF THIS AMENDMENT.

I JUST CANNOT SUPPORT
THIS BILL.

WHAT ARE WE DOING HERE?
WHAT ARE WE DOING?

I WILL MOVE FORWARD
THIS MOTION.

THIS IS STARTING TO GET
A LITTLE RIDICULOUS.

I WILL NOT SUPPORT THIS,
AND I, TOO, QUESTION

WHY WE'RE JUST PLAYING
WITH NUMBERS.

I DISAGREE.
AND SO, I WOULD SUGGEST

THAT THIS LEGISLATION
DOES ADVANCE REASONABLE POLICY

FOR THE CITIZENS OF KANSAS.

ALL RIGHT, WE'LL CALL FOR A VOTE
ON THE AMENDMENT.

ALL IN FAVOR, SAY, "AYE."

AYE.
AYE.AYE.

ALL OPPOSED, SAY, "NAY."

NAY.
NAY.NAY.

CHAIR'S IN DOUBT.

WE'LL CALL FOR A RAISE OF HANDS
TO CLARIFY THE VOTE.

ALL IN FAVOR,
RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND, PLEASE.

SO NINE.

OKAY. ALL OPPOSED?

9, 10. THE MOTION FAILS.

THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED.
THANK YOU.

Ferrell:
WE SURVIVED BY ONE VOTE.

ONE VOTE KEPT US
FROM DESTROYING

THE RENEWABLE-ENERGY STANDARD
IN KANSAS.

SO IT WASN'T LIKE IT WAS
A SLAM DUNK OR ANYTHING.

Ferrera:
AND DID THEY REALLY THINK

THAT THAT'S IN THE BEST INTEREST
OF THE PEOPLE IN KANSAS?

NO, I DON'T THINK THEY THINK
IT'S THE BEST INTEREST

IN THE PEOPLE OF KANSAS.

I THINK IT'S THE BEST INTEREST
OF POWERFUL CORPORATIONS.

AMERICA, THIS IS ABSOLUTELY
MY FAVORITE SPOT.

NOT ONLY IS THIS WHERE
THE ASHES OF MY PARENTS

AND MY SISTER
AND LOVED ONES ARE,

BUT IT'S THE BEST VIEW
OF THE WORLD, IN MY OPINION.

IT'S BEAUTIFUL.
I MEAN, WE'VE GOT
EVERYTHING UP HERE.

WE'VE GOT THE MOST GORGEOUS
TALLGRASS PRAIRIE IN THE WORLD,

AND WE HAVE A STATE-OF-THE-ART
WIND FARM AS A BACKDROP.

BUT I HEARD YOU SAY THAT
YOU THINK THEY'RE BEAUTIFUL

BUT BECAUSE
OF WHAT THEY SYMBOLIZE.

YEAH, WHAT THEY REPRESENT --

THE ABILITY TO GENERATE
ELECTRICITY

WITHOUT PUTTING CARBON
IN THE AIR,

AND THAT'S ALWAYS BEEN
A CENTRAL POINT FOR ME.

YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA RUN OUT
OF OIL AND COAL.

DO WE WANT A HARD LANDING
OR A SOFT LANDING?

AND I THINK
MOVING TO RENEWABLES

PROVIDES A SOFT LANDING
FOR US.

Ferrera: IN THE END, DESPITE
THE EFFORTS OF HEARTLAND,

A.L.E.C., AND OTHERS,

NOT A SINGLE STATE VOTED
TO REPEAL ITS CLEAN-ENERGY LAW

IN 2013.

INSTEAD, FOUR STATES

ACTUALLY INCREASE THEIR GOALS
FOR RENEWABLES.

BUT TAYLOR IS PLANNING
TO CONTINUE THE FIGHT.

Taylor:
I'M VERY OPTIMISTIC.

I'M VERY PLEASED WITH THE WAY

EVENTS HAVE BEEN UNFOLDING
IN THE STATES.

SURE, I WOULD'VE LIKED
TO HAVE HAD

SOME RENEWABLE-POWER MANDATES
ROLLED BACK BY NOW.

WHEN I SAY, "BY NOW,"
IT'S ONLY BEEN A COUPLE YEARS

THAT WE'VE REALLY TURNED
THE MOMENTUM.

BUT I REALLY THINK
THAT I HAVE A STRONG HAND

IN TERMS OF WHAT I'M ADVOCATING
IN THE CLIMATE DEBATE.

AND I'M VERY COMFORTABLE
IN MY OWN SKIN IN THAT DEBATE

JUST LIKE I AM
AT THE POKER TABLE.