Under the vast umbrella of social justice issues, hydraulic fracturing has recently caught captured my interest and concern. The issue of fracking is concerning from both an environmental and public health perspective. Fracking is believed to release methane, requires massive amounts of water, and releases chemicals in dangerous amounts. Even more concerning, however, is how the issue is being presented to the public. This past June, the EPA released what is being called a “landmark” study of fracking and its impacts on drinking water resources. Many media outlets left out critical information and several mitigating factors that resulted in the neutering of the study and its true findings. The outcome was Americans being lead to believe that
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
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
energy sector has been fracking; this drilling technique has allowed the United States to become the world’s largest oil and gas producers. However, environmentalist, environmental advocates, and citizen groups maintain that fracking poisons drinking water, causes cancer, and causes irreparable environmental damage. Environmental advocates use the word fracking like an expletive to generate opposition and revulsion “to what they say is a nasty process.” Even the cult sci-fi television series “Battlestar Galactica” used the industry word as a filler for a much harsher “F-word,” even though it had “nothing to do with oil and gas.”
I do not support hydraulic fracking because of all the negative factors that contribute to the operation. After reading and doing research, I found that there were a lot of unknown answers in the process of fracking and it made me concerned. Although the process is said to lower the price of gas and collect more gas, fracking seems to have more cons than pros. The process does not seem like it was investigated and shows little to no research background observations. Similarly to coal, the process of fracking seems unsafe and does not seem like it will be a good idea in the long run. As a matter of fact, extracting natural gas could possibly have similar environmental impacts as coal does if the process continues. Also, the process of fracking does not have a lot of evidence that it will work nor has it been tested thoroughly. Fracking can cause contamination to groundwater, air pollution, release of hazardous chemicals, huge amounts of water intake, and many other consequences.
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.
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
Fracking has become a highly controversial and publicized topic in recent years due to rising concerns into the potential benefits and consequences of using hydraulic fracturing to retrieve natural gas and oil reserves. With concerns over water pollution, mismanagement of toxic waste and irreversible environmental damage mounting, the practice of fracking has
The disparities between scientists, gas companies, and the government have created quite a bit of tension and angst across the country. In some communities people are trying to ban fracking while on the other side of the same town, people are celebrating the economic boom. Personally, I find it difficult to look away from the science that proves fracking has already had a devastating impact on some of our water sources. Not only does the fracking process use millions of gallons of fresh water, but also it ultimately contaminates and pollutes that very same water. This is an irresponsible use of water when some scientists estimate that by 2025, more than half of the world population will be facing water-based vulnerability (“Water”). While water is in short supply here in California, and in other parts of the country, and while many of us are working hard on conservation, it is sickening to think the natural gas companies are being allowed to drill without
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. The town has experienced many ups and downs because of all the gas companies coming in to extract the natural gas from the Marcellus Shale, that lies underneath the land. Dimock had received a lot of attention from the media due to the side-effects of fracking, some families also engaged in long lawsuits against the companies because of these harmful side-effects of fracking. The government finally stepped in and demanded the gas companies to pay for
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 is hurting homeowners and communities. Fracking is turning neighbors against each other. One could be getting paid thousands of dollars to frack on their own property while both of them share the pain equally. Many homeowners who live close to a fracking pad, even people who don’t drink the water, experience headaches, persistent coughs, nausea and memory loss (‘Fracking’ for Natural Gas Continues to Raise Health Concerns). Not to mention many of the fracking chemicals are known carcinogens. With health effects like these it is no surprise that homes within 1.5 kilometers sell for 10% less. Furthermore, within a kilometer the number increases to 22% (McManon).
In any business there is a fine line between cutting corners to save money and being fair to your costumers and the community you work in. Oil companies such as Chevron do not seem to acknowledge the presence of this dilemma. They show blatant disregard for the safety of the workers that they employ, and the people who’s health they endanger. These companies have been working on a new home front in our own back yards of Pennsylvania as they move across the country sucking Mother Nature of her natural resources. The fact of the matter is that the practice of fracking is bad for the environment in every way possible and can be a serious if not ominous threat to every person’s health within miles of the well sites.
“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
Hydraulic fracking has dramatically increased the amount of natural gas and oil production. Fracking allows for twice the production of oil and gas over regular oil rigs. Industry observers predict that by 2020, the United Stated will be the largest producer of oil and natural gas in the world. Currently Saudi Arabia produces about 10 million barrels of crude oil per day, whereas the U.S. produced about 8 million. As of right now it is hard to be completely energy independent from Middle Eastern countries because we as a nation consume more than we are able to produce. It was estimated back in 2009 that we as a nation have consume around 19 million barrels of oil-based fuels per day. As the supply and demand of oil and natural gas increase allows for more job to open up. In 2010, IHS CERA estimated around 600,000 new jobs were created. In 2011 alone, the oil and gas industry profited more than 100 billions dollars (Levi, 2012).
It’s safe to say that the War on Drugs is up in the conversation for being one of America’s biggest problems. It accounts for 320 billion dollars just from America alone (Headquarters, Drug policy). Obviously when we think about drugs we don’t think about happy things, instead we think about death, murder, and other gruesome thoughts. Latin America has had there problems with drugs, and it’s gotten so bad to the point that America and other neighboring countries have to step in and try to save the citizens of these countries. Latin America is known to be in the middle of the whole drug war(Staff, History). Peru, Bolivia, and Columbia were the main 3 countries that started this mess that is known as the “Drug War”(Staff, History). This war is so huge and deadly that almost every single country in the world is somehow involved in this. There are many reasons why America shouldn’t engage in the War on Drugs such as the financial purposes, and other reasons for the citizens of our country.