Fracking Essay

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Recommended: Positives and negatives of fracking

As the United States grows and humans are developing both the land and resources, the need for energy is also substantially increasing. For hundreds of years, America has depended on fossil fuels as the main source of energy. But, fossil fuels are not renewable and soon we will run out. Many people our debating turning to renewable energy sources like wind, water, solar, or geothermal, but the United States have found a new source of energy, and a new way of obtaining it. Natural Gas and the process of fracking to obtain it, to many people is our saving grace and a revolutionary energy method. But, is it really? Despite the obvious benefit of an energy surplus fracking is extremely dangerous and damages the land, the water, and the life around where it is being done. For this reason, I am against the process of fracking.
The land and geology of America is extremely important, even though we severely take it for granted. Many developments and processes we do majorly damage the ground that we stand on, and fracking is no exception. Fracking uses large drills and equipment set out all across America to harvest the Natural gas. One of the most popularized states for fracking is Pennsylvania and the forests the equipment is set up in are being dilapidated. The drills, roads, and other necessary parts for fracking are killing these forests. Over 9,000 Marcellus Shale permits and over 49,000 non-Marcellus Shale permits were created between 2000 and 2011 in Pennsylvania alone. These fracking drills are severely dividing the forests causing the entire ecosystem to be damaged. Besides destroying the forests fracking also causes earthquakes and sinkholes. Scientists have found a direct correlation between fracking and the recent earthquak...

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...he thousands of sites create many more jobs, provide tax revenues to the government, and create royal payments to the property owners.
Like everything in life, there are pros and cons to fracking. But, the severe difference between what the pros are effecting (the society) compared to what the cons are effecting (the environment) causes this topic to be extremely controversial. Despite the fact that fracking is helping the economy and providing energy, the consequences of fracking, that it is destroying our land, water, and the life in our country including killing people is just too great to ignore. After the mere seventy years fracking would last our country, we would have to find alternative sources for energy anyway. So, instead of destroying the place we call home we should find the new and environmentally friendly way to produce energy now and ban fracking.

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