In “Fracking” authors Michael D. Holloway and Oliver Rudd cover the technology and methods of hydraulic fracturing while explaining the consequences it has on our health, agriculture, and the planet. The two set out to expose the truths and fallacies regarding impacts of the controversial topic. Throughout the book excerpt, the authors reiterate their goal of not making false claims; “the goal is to educate and share insight.” The authors work to relieve the public of common hydraulic fracking related misconceptions brought on by the media. While the majority of citizens opposed to fracking report contamination to their water source and air, the authors’ collected studies reveal that these problems are not unique to fracking; they occur whenever
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.
In recent years there has been great concern over the growing demand for energy, and the lack of non-renewable energy resources to meet the demand in the future. In addition, the question of “sustainability”—the ability to balance social, economic, and environmental needs in energy production to meet both current and long-term requirements—has come to the fore. It is clear that America must expand energy production quickly, and that we must develop renewable, sustainable energy sources to meet long-term demand and protect our future. There are many proposed solutions, such as wind and solar power. But the technology for these resources is not yet fully developed, making them, at best, low-output alternatives. Because renewable sources are
Life: Twenty Years Later In 2026, life in Dimock, Pennsylvania was a lot different than how it was twenty years ago. This is evident by all the new advances in technology within the two decades. However, what changed the town the most was the hydraulic fracturing boom back in the mid-2000s.
Another reason why the United States must make fracking illegal is because it can have a negative effect on water sources. During fracking, the fluid, which consists of over 596 toxic chemicals, is pumped into the ground, soon after, once all of the gas is extracted from the operation, some of that fluid stays deep underground, and becomes increasingly toxic as it comes picks up radioactivity, or other underground contaminants (White). These fluids can sink into aquifers and turn water into a noxious mix, even the water that comes back up is almost untreatable after coming in contact with these chemicals (Griswold). Although the dangers are well known, it is no surprise that water sources have already been contaminated due to inattentiveness.
Fracking Debate Do you know what facking is, well it is the process of injecting liquid at high pressure into subterranean rocks, boreholes, etc., so as to force open existing fissures and extract oil or gas.The topic of this essay is
“While disagreement over hydraulic fracturing is new, the practice itself is not. Hydraulic fracturing has been used since 1947.”(No Evidence) Fracking helps get energy for the United states so that we do not have to buy oil from other states. Fracking is drilling for natural gas so that it can help the United States produce energy. Fracking is important to the United States because it bring more jobs to the United States so that we can make more money for our government. Activist think that it is important to protect the environment from fracking because it is it is a potential hazard.Fracking helps the U.S make more of their own energy, and fracking brings jobs and money into the United States, however some claim that fracking harms
anomaly and stated to be caused by radiation. We discontinued selling calves for two years.” Due to Alvarado being largely an agricultural community, many resident’s livelihoods were impacts due to their inability to grow crops or raise cattle without the fear of contamination or radioactivity. Additionally, when David went to confront the oil companies about the cancerous side effects undoubtedly due to their fracking operations, he was told that, “The fracking ingredients/chemicals were proprietary and they could not be released. I also unfortunately fought cancer through the statute of limitations and could not sue them to make them stop drilling”. These enormous gas companies lie, deceive, and take advantage of residents all to increase
There are many pros and cons to hydraulic fracturing which has made it a very controversial topic in the United States Government the past few years. What is now commonly known as “fracking” is the use of chemically infused water that is pressurized and used along with drilling into the earth’s bedrock to create an earthquake that releases natural gases from pockets thousands of yards below the Earth’s surface. Fracking causes these earthquakes when releasing the gas, and is concerned to be the cause of water pollution due to the chemicals used all over the U.S. There have been many congressional hearings regarding the 34 states affected by fracking including one held on July 24th, 2013. Lessons Learned: EPA’s Investigations of Hydraulic Fracturing
Oil was first found in Texas in July 1543 by the Spanish explorer Luis de Moscoso of the Desoto expedition. Luis de Moscoso first saw the oil in the Galveston Bay between High Island and the Sabine Pass by Arthur Texas, was were Luis Moscoso saw oil floating on the water. Texas first economically significant oil discovery didn’t happen until another 300 years. Texas has been the main leading producer of crude oil in the United States. Based on an article online earthjustice.org, “Since 2005, more than 12,000 wells have been fracked in the Fort Worth area alone Fracking is a type of drilling that has been used over sixty five years. Hydraulic fracturing is a different process it includes a safely tapping shale as other tight- rock formations. By drilling a mile or more below the surface before turning horizontal and continuing thousand several feet more. Fracking is an important topic in Texas whether it benefits the economy in a positive way or affects us in a negative way. Therefore, fracking has its pros and
For over half a century, hydraulic fracturing, otherwise known as fracking, has been an innovative industry used to remove oil and natural gas buried underground. Established in 1947, fracking allowed industries to expand and develop new technologies to further environmental safety and the discovery of natural gas. Fracking releases natural gas trapped deep in shale underground. "What is Fracking?" states "Fracking was first introduced in 1947; however, wasn't commercially used until 1999 with Barnett Shale" (1). This industry sparks controversy all over the nation and worldwide. The public protests the environmental safety and regulations, and the fact corporations are not required to release the chemicals being used to drill the shale.
Is Fracking A Good Idea? Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, is the process of drilling deep underground to collect hydrocarbons. Although you don’t even have to drill straight down. It can go out horizontally, like the spokes on a bicycle wheel. There can be up to fifteen of these “bicycle spokes” each time. This allows even more hydrocarbons to be collected. Even though fracking is a good way to collect oil and natural gas, there are many components that are harmful to the environment. One of these is the harm that fracking is doing to the water. When the mixture of water, sand, and added chemicals is injected into the steel pipe, only 15%-50% of it is recovered and brought back to the surface. The rest of the water stays underground and is
Mirelly Robalino Professor White Analytical Reading and Writing March 28, 2017 Fracking: Present Issues In today’s operational and global economy, energy is considered one the most sought out and fundamental commodities. While an individual’s environmental role plays a vital role in their overall health; there are more specific geographic areas having instrumental actions that take
Fracking is a term commonly used by those that work in the oil field. Fracking is a short term for hydraulic fracturing, which is the process in which fractures are created in rock and rock formations by injecting a liquid at a high pressure. The injection is a mixture of sand, water, and chemicals. This is how we get our oil and natural gas. Many people always ask is fracking good or bad. Fracking can be both good and bad in a number of ways.
Waterless Fracking: GasFrac For many years now, oil and gas have been harvested from deep beneath the Earth’s surface using thousands and millions of gallons of water, known as hydraulic fracking. Environmental critics have brought up issues with this type of fracking. The main being that while using these massive amounts of water every time a well is fracked, all the used water, when finished, is causing significant amounts of pollution. In response to the current criticism, engineers have developed waterless fracking operations, where propane gel, butane, and other liquid and gas alternatives are used to break the shale that is deep beneath the Earth’s surface. Even though this new water-free system does not use the massive amounts of water like its hydraulic counterpart, there are still critics saying that it has its own environmental impacts. Assessing these impacts and therefore the philosophical justifications for this sort of method provides support for its continued use.