rate my landman

The Extract project is an internet-based advocacy effort for land-owners being targeted by the oil and gas industries. Unaware of their rights, their land’s value or the health risks of drilling near residential areas, many residents of mineral-rich states unwittingly sacrifice the mineral rights to their property resulting in the propagation of thousands of wells on private land. The project is sponsored by MIT’s Center for Future Civic Media, and is the brain child of Sara Wylie and Chris Csikszentmihalyi. The site hosts a suite of tools, including a ‘Landman Report Card (above)’ which works as a Ratemycop for the sometimes duplicitous representatives of the extractive industries. It also serves as an aggregator of information and resources, such as assistance filling out formal complaints. Internet advocacy holds considerable promise for its ability to bring together disparate communities spread across the country. On the other hand, internet access and literacy can keep many of the most vulnerable ignorant of their rights. This is why, together with the virtual portal, the Extract team has been traveling to affected areas in Ohio, New Mexico and Colorado to workshop the project: