Australian politician sets river on fire to protest fracking dangers

An Australian politician has captured the world's attention after setting a river on fire in an effort to highlight the dangers of fracking.

New South Wales Greens Member of Parliament Jeremy Buckingham was taken by locals to the Condamine River in Queensland, Australia, where mysterious bubbling has been taking place since at least 2012. In a statement, the politician blamed nearby coal seam gas (CSG) operations for the increased release of methane gas in the water -- so much so, he suggested, the river can now hold a flame.

In the video, Buckingham holds what looks to be a barbecue lighter to the river before leaping back as flames spread rapidly. "Unbelievable, a river on fire," he exclaims. "A tragedy in the Murray Darling Basin. This is the future of Australia if we do not stop the frackers."

Others ascribe the curious bubbling to natural processes. "We know that methane is coming to the surface along a fault line, a very small fault line that occurs and intersects with the river," Damian Barrett, CSIRO research director of onshore gas and director of the Gas Industry Social and Environmental Research Alliance, a partnership between the CSIRO and the CSG industry, told ABC News in February. "We know that the methane that is bubbling in that river is varying in time and the reason for that — while it is unknown — could be perfectly natural."

Origin Energy, which has operations in the area, downplayed Buckingham's video. "We are concerned by the actions of local activists and green campaigners deliberately lighting up the seeps in the river to gain attention for their anti-gas views," a spokesperson told Mashable Australia. "This is neither safe nor responsible behaviour. The seeps pose no risk to the environment, or public safety providing people show common sense and act responsibly around them."

A 2012 government review of the phenomenon determined "the source and cause of the Condamine River gas seeps is unlikely to be determined in the short-term," and recommended ongoing investigation. The Queensland Department of Natural Resources and Mines has been contacted for comment.

QGC and Arrow Energy, which have sites in the area, Buckingham said, have also been contacted for comment.

Those who live near the river, on the other hand, say the problem is only getting worse. "Over the last few years there more and more patches of bubbles have appeared on the river and the pressure of the gas has increased to the point where it is like an over-sized spa bath," local resident, John Jenkyn, said in the statement. 

"It's a river, it shouldn't be doing that."

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