The nasty business of hydraulic fracturing − pumping millions of gallons of pressurised chemical-treated water into the earth to capture natural gas – has contaminated aquifers around the world. But things are looking up for the campaign against it, with some help from the movement's most vocal celebrity champion.

In real life Mark Ruffalo may not have the superpowers of his character the Hulk in the record-breaking film The Avengers, but he puts up a pretty good fight. The US actor, who's starred in films like The Kids Are All Right and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, really hates fracking and has been a steadfast ally of the movement to ban the poisonous extraction process in the US. After all, he's got firsthand knowledge of the dangers of fracking – it's affecting his property in upstate New York.

We know he's good on screen, but Ruffalo also gives a good speech off camera: watch him call on the Environmental Protection Agency to ban fracking. And check out that "legally clean well water", which glows an ominous – almost Hulkish – yellowy green in the bottle.

To the folks at the EPA: Guys! this is the Hulk. You wouldn't like him when he's angry.

Learn more: How fracking functions.