Energy Sources: Hydraulic Fracturing

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“When you think of energy, you probably think of whether or not you are tired or full of energy. Energy is what makes things happen. It makes grass grow, cars move, computers work, and stars explode.”- Unknown. One way we get our energy is from fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas.As the U.S. works to move towards independence from the Middle Eastern oil, we must find other sources of fossil fuels. CNG, or Compressed Natural Gas, burns much cleaner, and is cheaper, than normal gasoline refined from oil. One of the methods of getting this natural gas is hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. Hydraulic fracturing has a very interesting history, as well as positive and negative impacts. However, it may not be the most ecological and economical source of energy.
Hydraulic fracturing is a mining technique where water is mixed with sand and chemicals and injected at high pressure into a well . This causes the shale to crack, releasing natural gas to escape up the well. The natural gas is then used to make energy. Hydraulic fracturing has grown bigger over the years. It was invented in the 1940s, but was not very popular until 2003. It was invented as a new way to collect natural gas. Before hydraulic fracturing, shale gas only supplied 1% of the U.S.’s natural gas, but now it supplies about 30%. It wasn’t controversial until 2008 when environmental groups found out about it, and the anti-fracking movement began. Even though it isn’t particularly environmentally friendly, fracking is one of the most effective ways to obtain natural gas.
Hydraulic fracturing has created positive and negative impacts in today’s society. One positive impact is that it creates well-paying jobs, which are much needed in our economy. Last year in the th...

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...e each of these commercial wind turbines costs about 3-4 million dollars to construct, costs become too cumbersome for the amount of energy produced. Another alternative to hydraulic fracturing and fossil fuels is hydroelectric power. Hydroelectric power is created when water flows through a turbine, which creates electricity from the kinetic energy. Although it’s a clean energy source and can be used until the water supply runs out, it lowers the speed of the river it is placed on. Also, the dam containing the turbines creates man-made lakes, which can drastically change the ecosystem of the area. If the dam breaks, the areas downstream will flood. Another source of energy which uses a turbine is geothermal energy. Geothermal energy uses the heat of the Earth’s interior to heat steam, which spins a turbine. This is actually much cleaner that most energy sources,

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