Essay On Fracking

The process of hydraulic fracturing has been around since the 1940’s, though not until recent years has it been an economically viable option. Hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking”, refers to the process of injecting large volumes of water, mixed with a proppant (usually sand) and chemicals, down a well at high pressures in order to fracture underground formations with low permeability. Due to technology advances allowing companies to drill horizontal wells in recent years, the use of fracking has grown exponentially in the United States. This is due to the fact that fracking has allowed oil and natural gas companies to feasibly produce large hydrocarbon supplies in low-permeable shale formations, which were previously thought to be economically inaccessible. This natural gas “boom” caused by widespread use of hydraulic fracturing has provided great opportunities for the United States. By creating a large domestic energy supply, the US has been able to lower dependence on foreign oil imports. Also, natural gas has emerged as a viable fuel source and even burns cleaner than other fossil fuels. Though, fracking has also become a hot topic from an ethical standpoint, with alarming environmental detriments coming to light. With claims and studies that hydraulic fracturing has caused water contamination, water shortages, and even earthquakes, many people are questioning its current use and future viability. Some counties and states are even beginning to completely ban the use of fracking overall. The first canon of the National Society of Professional Engineers code of ethics states that all engineers should “hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public.” (NSPE.org) In order to uphold this code, I believe the env...

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..., and have not been given enough recognition. Chemicals in fluids used in the fracturing process can contaminate and pollute groundwater, and incorrect disposal of the waste water from hydraulic fracturing can contaminate and pollute rivers and streams with radioactive particles. Both of these issues can, in turn, cause detrimental health risks to countess people and animals. Coupled with causing water shortages in some areas and earthquakes in others, how can hydraulic fracturing ethically be allowed to continue at its current pace? With all of these noted detriments, engineers in the oil industry must fulfill their ethical duties to society and slow down the use of hydraulic fracturing until more is known. Then, the positives and negatives of this process can be safely weighed to make a well-informed decision about the future of implementing hydraulic fracturing.