The Pros And Cons Of Fracking

For the past twenty to thirty years, hydraulic fracturing, more commonly known as fracking, has been the number one source of natural gas, oil, and energy in the United States. The process of fracking is that a well is built above the ground and then a drill digs several thousand feet deep into the ground to extract the oil and natural gas that is trapped inside of rock formations. Fracking is very controversial because of the cost of the process and the environmental “threats” that it poses. From methane emissions to earthquakes, fracking has been accused to be linked with several environmental issues. To prevent any environmental dangers, states place regulations and boundaries that energy companies have to follow in order to build a well and keep it up and running. The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) also works with states to help regulate these wells. More importantly, fracking in the United States is very important and acts as a bridge to the future. While it may be argued that hydraulic fracturing is not beneficial to the economy and harmful to the environment, fracking in the United States should not be banned because fracking is not only imperative to the growth of jobs and the economy, but it also does not put the surrounding environment in danger.

The mismanagement of the practice has the potential to create environmental damage such as water contamination, radioactive spills, and increased seismic activity that could cost thousands in dollars in damage. Furthermore, the unintended consequences of fracking can have detrimental effects on the environmental. The potential for water contamination can pose both an immediate and long term risk to environmental stability, including landscape distortion, inhabitability and ecological displacement. This contamination of drinking water can also be detrimental to the human environment, limiting the amount of safe water available for both the residential and commercial human environment. With the increase of fracking, the level of disapproval for the practice has only mounted. Concerns including overconsumption of

Even though I would need to do more research to have a more coherent opinion, I believe that fracking should not be practiced in the United States. My opinion is heavily based on the fact that fracking is still such a new discovery and that safe methods have not been identified. Thus, too many people are at risk for being exposed to contaminated drinking water (Jackson, 2014). The methane contamination of the drinking water is very concerning because it is very flammable, which can be incredibly dangerous to the citizens in the affected area (Hoffman, 2016). Thirdly, the amount of pollutants that are released into the atmosphere is not safe for people to inhale. Both children and adults have been exposed to these pollutants, which have had severely negative effects. Lung disease is just one of the major negative health effects of fracking. Cancer and birth defects in infants are other incredibly disabling diseases that affect people in proximity to these wells (Kiely, 2016). Another issue that I find disturbing about the process of fracking is that the waste water wells are disposing of the chemical waste deep into the Earth’s crust. However, some of this chemical waste is disposed of in landfills, which, in turn, pollutes the groundwater (StateImpact, 2017). Overall, I find the process of fracking

“Fracking is the process of obtaining Natural Gas from below Earth’s surface by drilling 1000’s of feet into the earth before a high-pressure water mixture is directed at the rock to release the gas inside.” Water, sand and chemicals are injected into the rock at high pressure which allows the gas to flow out to the head of the well.” (Jackson). Hydraulic Fracturing got its name due to the fact of how the rock is fractured apart by the high pressure mixture of a number of chemicals, sand, and water. Drilling companies first began Fracking in the early 1940’s, and starting in the 1990’s companies began “safer drilling” due to the amount of concerns that had arisen because early drillers had to detonate small explosions that eventually ended up killing many people. Fracking has been used for nearly 60 years and the number of concerns about it are rising every day. Due to the new technological advancements in drilling Fracking has changed greatly over the years. Before, the drilling would go on for weeks on end in order to extract only a small amount of natural gas. Now, due to the invention of higher powered drills, the drills get double the amount then they used to be able to get in more then half the time. Over 95,000 square miles of shale deposits have been found around the Appalachian Basin but the only way to reach these deposits of shale is through fracking. “Fracking is a technique designed to recover gas and oil from shale rock by drilling

Fracking is a shorter form of Hydraulic Fracturing which is the extraction process of both natural gas and oil. The process involves drilling deep into the Earth’s surface. Fractures are then created by “pumping large quantities of fluids at high pressure down a welfare and into the target rock formation” (EPA, 2016). After making these openings for the gas or oil to come up (known as “flowback”) the materials can be stored. The reason the fracking process occurs is because “more usual methods of extraction may not be able to fully reach the deposits of shale gas and oil” (2015).

Fracking consumes a lot of water with many chemicals and can’t be used again for purposes other than fracking, reducing the water supply. Companies originally extracted gas in a vertical position, but many are switching to lateral fracking; the latter of which consumes a significantly more amount of water

The issue of whether we should continue fracking without research has been widely debated around the world. The issue is important because it has fundamental environmental concerns and economic questions about the process of hydraulic fracturing. “Fracking” is the process of penetrating down into the earth before a high-pressure water mixture is absorbed at the rock to release the gas inside. Water, sand, and chemicals are then inserted into the rock with compression which allows the gas to flow out to the head of the well. Fracking fluid, which can be polluted with heavy metals like arsenic, known human carcinogens, has seeped into local waterways and polluted groundwater. People who live near fracking wells have a heightened danger of developing cancer, asthma, and other serious ailments associated with inhaling or ingesting the toxic chemicals involved in the fracking process. Countries approach fracking and researching much differently from each other. The injection of fluid into shale beds at high pressure to extract petroleum resources has been happening across the United States of America at rapid pace. By 2003, a gigantic public relations campaign was launched to lobby Congress to pass what is

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.

It’s been over 65 years since fracking first began as a method of extraction by oil and gas companies, but the government has done little to regulate the catastrophic practice. How anyone could consider injecting tens of thousands of gallons of water and chemicals deep into the ground being a good idea is beyond me. Those chemicals include chlorine, acetone, benzene, formaldehyde, ammonia, and almost 600 other chemicals that fracking operations won’t even reveal to the public. These chemicals, despite denial by all major natural gas and oil companies that practice fracking, almost always end up in groundwater supplies. I’m sure you’ve seen at least one video online of someone who lives near a fracking site lighting the water coming out of their faucet on fire. Thanks to a ruling in 2005 under the Bush administration, fracking operations are exempt from the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean

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.

Some people believe fracking is good for mankind, but it is in fact good for modern technology and terrible for the environment that man lives in. Fracking provides us with oil and natural gas. The process of fracking is to drill into the earth and pump water and other chemicals into the earth to create cracks or fissure in the shale rock, allowing the gases to be released into a well for collection. The chemicals used in fracking can include water, sand, salt, citric acid, benzene or lead, which can be dangerous if not isolated and used properly. If these chemicals were to leak out in the public they would cause serious health problems and even death. If human life isn’t a good enough reason to end fracking then I don’t know what is. (bib 1, 2, 3)

There has been a recent push to develop unconventional ways to obtain fossil fuels, particularly oil and gas in the United States and as well as over seas. Hydraulic fracturing or “fracking” has come into play recently and there is much controversy over the developed methods of obtaining oil and gas. Supporters for fracking have claimed that the new technology will spark an economic growth with jobs, as well as an alternative energy source, but there are also risks that go into fracking, which citizens of the surrounding areas are opposed because fracking can have long lasting and hazardous effects not only on the environment, but on the people in the surrounding community.

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

Hydraulic Fracking is a drilling method developed for the extraction of energy resources buried beneath shale formations located deep below the Earth’s surface. The practice of vertical drilling has been safely performed for more than 50 years, but the recent development of horizontal drilling has exposed the practice to harsh scrutinization. Vertical drilling inserts pipe directly into the shale formations allowing for limited access to pockets of methane. The last 10 to 15 years has brought about the development of horizontal drilling, which allows drilling to be conducted with greater economic benefit. The process splinters shale formations horizontally, allowing the escape of larger amounts of methane. The methane travels through fractures and eventually is stored for transport. Proponents of hydraulic fracking contend the practice is safe, provides jobs, and is healthier for the environment than fossil fuels. Opponents postulate the practice pollutes the water table, is a health risk, is a viable danger to the climate, and causes earthquakes. The

According to the association press Hydraulic Fracturing has shown no signs of contamination in nearby water supplies.The Fracking process includes depositing chemical infused fluids into colossal man made chasms drilled thousands of feet below sea level. This process is used to extract natural gases and petroleum. Studies show that even in the most depthless holes that are in close proximity to the water table there were still no signs of contamination over time (Begos).Surprisingly, all the the harmful contaminants stayed within a mile of the water supply according to an experiment at Penn State University. One conundrum in association with hydraulic fracturing is making sure all companies are following chemical guidelines, because companies have a right to keep their "special formulas" a secret (Begos). Therefore, it is becoming increasingly difficult to regulate what chemicals can be added, and in some minute cases there have been an increase in minatory substances found in tap water.On the contrary, the preponderance of the Fracking related issues are not due to the "Fracking Chemicals" but are caused by poor well construction (Begos). This shows that the issues we are having are a result of human error and not just the nature and hostility conjoined with Fracking corpora. Fracking Is by no means safe yet, but with strict regulations it could be. There have been a