Hydraulic Fracking : Human Health, The Environment, And Economy Essay

Over the past decade oil and gas producers have increasingly used hydraulic fracturing also known as fracking to extract oil and gas from the earth. Most people believe fracking is a new process but it has been around for over 100 years. Modern day fracking began in the 1990’s when George P Mitchell created a new technique by combining fracking with horizontal drilling. Since then, U.S. oil and gas production has skyrocketed. But the “new” perception of fracking leads people to incorrectly believe that fracking is temporary and that it somehow harms the environment. The truth is fracking is a reasonable energy solution if oversight and safeguards are used. In the last ten years fracking has improved conditions in the U.S. in three

In recent years, the subject of hydraulic fracturing, better known as fracking has been a constant subject of interest in the news media. The pros and cons of fracking are passionately debated. However, the public should become educated on the subject of fracking prior to choosing a side of the argument. In the scholarly article, “Super Fracking,” published in 2014, by Donald L. Trucotte, Eldridge M. Moores, and John B. Rundle, a detailed description of fracking is provided, followed by their analysis of current issues surrounding the controversy. According to Trucotte, Moores, and Rundle, fracking saves the consumer money. The wellhead cost to produce natural gas in January of 2000 was two dollars and sixty cents per one thousand cubic feet. At an alarming rate, the cost at the wellhead to produce natural gas had risen to eight dollars per one thousand cubic feet by January of 2006. Comfortingly, the wellhead cost dropped to two dollars and eighty-nine cents by the end of 2012. Impressively, gas production increase and price decrease over the time period are a result of fracking. In their article, Trucotte, Moores, and Rundle describe in great detail that hydraulic fracturing, most commonly referred to as fracking is the process of drilling down into the earth to fracture the layers of rock so that a high-pressure water mixture is directed at the rock to release the oil or natural gas inside. This method of fracking has been used commercially for the last fifty years.

“Fracking” isn’t a word that most people are familiar with unless they are well informed or active in local government or natural gas extraction. “Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, involves extracting natural gas from shale formations underground” (Collier, Galatas, Harrelson-Stephens, 2008). During the process known as fracking, millions of gallons of water are shot underground into shale formations to help bring the natural gas trapped inside the formations to be released so that it can surface and become available for extraction. This is the technique that is used for traditional fracking methods. Although fracking increases the states natural gas production, it also carries some negative side effects that are affecting the state and its people.

If the practice of fracking continues without the necessary regulation and management to construct the infrastructure required for extraction, transportation and consumerization, the practice has the potential to generate serious problems.

Hydraulic fracturing also called fracking has been around for many years despite the recent events of controversy to continue fracturing or not. With the earth’s resources depleting rapidly every year and no sufficient replacement for energy humanity needs fracking. The process of fracking has been around for more than six decades. Fracking has been around since the 1940s and was created to increase the removal flow of oil and natural gas. In the words of chemical engineer Robert Rapier “Fracking involves pumping water, chemicals, and a proppant down an oil or gas well under high pressure to break open channels in the rock holding the oil or gas (Rapier).” A proppant can be different materials,

With the age of constant industrial and technological growth has come the necessity for not only cost effective and efficient methods for industry, but also the need for obtaining fuel for the machines that make the modern world possible. Oil has become as precious a commodity as gold, if not more so; its attainments constantly driving the world's largest businesses and governments across the world into action. Naturally, a "quick-fix" solution to this problem is constantly sought after by oil companies wishing to provide oil on a massive scale. One of these drilling methods is known as induced hydraulic fracturing (also known as fracking).

Hydraulic Fracking is the act of shooting or drilling chemicals and liquids into the ground at a high speed in order to break the rocks and earth below. When you break the rocks, or fracture them, it releases the natural gas that is trapped inside. Fracking is a controversial topic, with benefits seen by some and devastating results seen by others. The state of Texas allows fracking, and it is a technique used all over the state. The Obama administration and the federal government believe that fracking can lead the country away from dependence on fossil fuels and into a new generation of clean energy. However, environmental agencies believe that fracking is just another energy source that is no better for the environment than coal, and leads to contaminated water. Fracking companies do not have to follow the Safe Water Drinking Act of 1974, whose purpose is to protect groundwater for the people.

Hydraulic fracking is putting a pressurized mixture of water, sand, and chemicals deep into the Earth to release oil and other gas. Not only does hydraulic fracking use enough water annually to supply five million people a year, but it some environmentalist believe it may contaminate the water (Dechert, 2015). In 2016, The State Senate committee in Florida turned down a bill to regulate hydraulic fracking even though nearly eight counties and cities either ban or opposes this new technique (Alvarez, 2016). Haliburton Co. is regulating themselves by setting a goal to use twenty-five percent less water for hydraulic fracking by the end of 2014. Some also believe that hydraulic fracking is not harming the water supply and is actually decreasing the amount of water used to sustain an oil driven society (Fracking Does Not, 2015). According to the Environmental Protection Agency in 2015, there are no “widespread, systemic impacts on drinking water resources in the United States” (Fractured Thinking, 2016). No matter the case, city officials and corporations are going to have to work together to reduce the amount of contaminated water in this

The drive to satisfy the nation's insatiable appetite for energy has driven over 31 states to adopt a process of natural gas extraction known as hydraulic fracturing. "Used in nine out of 10 natural gas wells," fracking entails pumping "millions of gallons of water, sand and chemicals"¦to break apart the rock and release the gas" (What is hydraulic fracking, 2013, Pro Publica). The chemicals are necessary to transform the water "into a frictionless mass that works its way deep into the earth, prying open tiny cracks that can extend thousands of feet. The particles of sand or silicon wedge inside those cracks, holding the earth open just enough to allow the gas to slip by" (What is hydraulic fracking, 2013, Pro Publica). Cash-strapped states have embraced fracking with a vengeance: it often brings jobs to rural areas with extremely high levels of unemployment.

The crisis for obtaining fossil fuels such as oil and natural gases is at an all-time high. With the limited amounts and struggles of obtaining these needed natural resources for everyday use we find ourselves trying new technological advancements to extract these fossil fuels out of the ground. One way of doing so is through the use of fracking. Fracking is the extraction of natural gasses from shell rock deep beneath the earth’s surface. With the new scientific technological advancements of fracking we can obtain natural gasses in ways that were once un-thought of before. In many ways fracking is beneficial, fracking can provide vast amounts of natural gasses which can be used not only in our everyday lives, but can also be beneficial from an economic stand point as well. However, along with the benefits of fracking there also comes some drawbacks. The use of fracking can contaminate our water sources, and can also cause very large amounts of pollution, causing diseases and death. To get a clearer understanding of what fracking can do we must first learn how fracking works, its benefits for our economy, but also its drawbacks on the environment, and draw a conclusion on whether or not fracking is overall more beneficial or harmful.

The fracking industry in its entirety, although surrounded by a shroud of controversy, is an economic stimulator that many do not acknowledge. The potential replacement of coal for efficient and clean energy would not be possible if it weren’t for the utilization of hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking, and horizontal drilling. To consider fracking as only a danger to the environment would be an overstatement while saying fracking only provides natural gas and nothing else is an understatement. It’s important to consider all of the potential benefits that fracking gives to the economy and how its minor environmental destruction could lead to an economic reconstruction. Although fracking has a negative connotation with most people,

Despite the fact that fracking has one overall benefit, the risks are just too big of a price to pay. Even though hydraulic fracking lets people use natural resources, it has shocking risks such as ground water pollution, air pollution, and making innocent citizens ill. Anyone does not have to be an expert on fracking plainly see and to know that losing unwary humans and animals to hydraulic fracking is

While improving production rates, safety and methods have improved to lessen environmental impacts. The contents of fracking solution is the basis for much debate and one of the main concerns for many. However, fracking fluid is not the only questionable aspect of fracking, included is land and infrastructure degradation, physiological harm to local citizens, utilization of legislation loopholes, and the secrecy of fracking fluid formulas within the industry. Due to the many possible hazards of the fracking process, it has initiated much political discussion at the state and federal levels of government, while inciting concern of local citizens. Fracking is not the cleanest alternative to oil reclamation, but has improved drastically with the introduction of hydraulic fracturing. Hydraulic fracturing is an extremely controversial topic, raising concerns of safety and of economic feasibility by both affected or non-affected citizens and members of government. Nonetheless, the negative attributes of fracking, such as fracking fluid dispersal and other environmental issues are outweighed by the vast economic gains and can be mitigated by a system of regulations and development of new technologies for the industry.

When a discussion comes to the topic of hydraulic fracking many people have concerns about the consequences. The people that are concerned have the right to be wary of hydraulic fracking. Numerous people do not know what fracking is, that it can increase the number of earthquakes, and contaminate well water.

While it is true “fracking”, a procedure to obtain natural gas removal from shale formations, it is also true there have been infrastructure security issues associated with this practice. Furthermore, there have been ecological considerations from fracking brought to the forefront by countless environmentalists. Indeed, hydraulic fracturing, as it is referred to, is a process by which shale gas and oil is uprooted from a depth far below the earth’s exterior. The process of extracting shale gas and oil is employed aggressively while water is forced deep beneath the earth surface through a geological arrangement. From this arrangement, oil and gas is exerted back to the earth’s surface. Moreover, once the hydraulic fracturing process is