Hydraulic Fracturing
Hydraulic fracturing is the process of drilling using sand, water, and various chemicals to obtain natural gas stored in the shale rock. Our nation needs to come together and expose this poisonous process and stop any further fracking before it's too late.
By the mid 20th century the United States was searching for an energy source that didn't need to imported by some middle eastern country. The energy source needed to be solely domestic. Natural gas found in shale rock is abundant in our country, located in the midwest and along the east coast. Fracking started in the 1940’s but didn't get its modern start in terms of thought techniques till the 1990’s. The United States has a lot of cars/ boats/ and buses to power and
…show more content…
When fracking there is a need of large amounts of sand that are brought in on fleets of trucks. This sand contains up to 99% silica, this mineral is naturally occurring that contains sand, rock, and mineral ores. According to Health and Wellness Resource Center “Exposure to silica can cause lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, kidney disease and silicosis, which scars and stiffens the lungs, making it increasingly difficult to breathe and causing disability and, often, a shortened lifespan”(Health and Wellness Resource Center). Not only is silica exposed in the air but as well as hydrogen sulfide which is a gas that is flammable and toxic. The workers that help drill for natural gas are at an enormous risk of developing cancers or even dying due to these toxic materials. This wouldn't be the first time companies put profit over the safety and health of its …show more content…
The USA is at risk of doing the same if we don't stop the production of natural gas. I want to live in a country where I can take my children to different states and not worry about the air pollution or dangerous tap water. The EPA (environmental protection agency) is blind to these problems in fact according to Earthworks “ the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") does not regulate the injection of fracturing fluids under the Safe Drinking Water Act”. Some would say “how is this the case?” well it started with the Dick Cheney. Many know him as the vice president of the United states under George W. Bush but before that he was the CEO of Halliburton Company this company supplies products and services to the energy industry. Halliburton has had a patent on hydraulic fracking since the 1940’s. The conflict of interest arises when the EPA did a study on the process of hydraulic fracking in 2004 using Halliburton as a resource. Cheney’s energy task force allowed for what is now known as the “Halliburton loophole” which means that fracking companies can use any liquids in fracking without violating the Safe Drinking Water Act. The EPA’s response to the 2004 review was that “fracking poses little or no threat to drinking
Natural gas is very dangerous, especially when the health of people is the main problem. The side effects of natural gas, according to Tox Town the article points out “oxygen can be reduced, causing dizziness, fatigue, nausea, headache, and irregular breathing” and even “death”. Pennsylvania is suffering in a tremendous way people are not consuming water like they used to. In fact, the video from Fracking Hell: The Untold Story” have people explaining how their rivers and have yellow colors, and how strong the water smell. They cannot wash dishes,
In today's global economy, energy is one of the most crucial and sought after commodities. Who supplies it and how much they supply determines how much influence they have over other countries as well as the global economy. This is why hydraulic fracturing is currently such an important and controversial topic in the United States. Hydraulic fracturing, more commonly known as "fracking" or hydrofracturing, is the process of using pressurized liquids to fracture rocks and release hydrocarbons such as shale gas, which burns more efficiently than coal. This booming process of energy production provides a much needed economic boost, creating jobs and providing gas energy for Americans. The efficiently burning shale gas reduces carbon emission from electricity production plants, reducing carbon footprints on the environment. However, the process of hydraulic fracturing uses millions of gallons of pressurized liquid, which contains toxic chemicals, and some of this water is left over undealt with. The air near fracking sites is often also polluted and unsafe for nearby community residents. Injecting millions of gallons of water laced with toxic chemicals into the rock thousands of feet deep can cause earthquakes, causing a safety hazards for all nearby areas. Hydraulic Fracturing makes rare natural gases easily attainable, boosting the economy and reducing carbon emissions. However, the negative side effects such as contaminated water and air, make hydraulic fracturing a process that may not be worth the benefits.
The people who are being asked permission to transform their land into drilling sites for natural gas have more reason to be concerned than most because it will affect them more directly than people who do not live in that specific area (although it does affect people who do not live in the vicinity as well). Although fracking may seem to concern to only a small group of people, it should also concern anyone who cares about doing what is safe for our country's citizens. The truth is, fracking is extremely dangerous, not only because of the negative effects on the environment, but also because it could make people ill.
In the documentary Gasland the main concerns of Josh Fox regarding hydraulic fracturing were the industry was highly unregulated and reckless which caused the contamination of ground and drinking water which was the cause of illness.. The most important concern Josh had was hydraulic fracturing was causing the contamination of peoples ground and drinking water. He claims hydraulic fracturing is causing gases such as methane and heavy metals such as mercury, use...
Although there have been no intensive studies on the drinking water that could be linked to fracturing practices, many people believe it could be harmful to anyone that consumes the water. The EPA and other strong environmentalists are pushing towards more strict regulations on fracking. Contrary to that belief Dr. Charles Goat stated, “drilling for natural gas in itself doesn't pose a threat to air and water quality, if it‘s done properly.” Research has also been done that fracking has little to no impact on the groundwater. Companies also use safeguards to reduce the threat of air contamination from fracking engines and compressors. Local communities and fracking companies work together to reduce noise, traffic, and other environmental factors of fracking. Water is often recycled to use in other fracturing procedures. Fracking companies are working to make fracking less hurtful to the environment and to the local community (Energy from Shal...
Fracking is quickly becoming a debatable topic in our society today. The practice involves injecting fluid into the ground to fracture rock in order to release natural gas. It sounds like it would be a safe way to harness fuels in the earth’s surface, but it actually is a danger to our environment. Because of the dangers of fracking, what little fresh water remains on earth is being contaminated. It is also releasing toxins into the airs creating contaminated air and acid rain. Because of the many health and environmental dangers of fracking, it should be stopped immediately to help prevent more worldwide health issues down the road.
Hydraulic fracturing aka “fracking” is the mechanical process that uses fluids and other macro sized materials to create small fractures in the shale and bed rock under surfaces of the earth. The fractures, usually no more than an inch wide, allow the highly pressurized oil and natural gas to flow freely to the pipe to the pumped back to the surface. The first known commercial use of hydraulic fracking first came about during the 1940s but dates all the way back 1865 during the Civil War. To increase their available water supply, which in some cases meant the difference between life and death, soldiers would drop sticks of lit dynamite down dry wells or those with low water levels. They hoped by doing this that that explosion from the dynamite would deepen or loosen the ground to allow water to permeate to an accessible point.
Conflicting reports make it difficult to discern just how detrimental the practice is to the environment and people. What is known is that fracking uses phenomenal amounts of water, which is becoming a scarce resource in many parts of the country. There is no doubt that the fluid used in the fracking process contains chemicals, and when released into water supplies has negative effects on these sources. Injection of flowback materials into deep wells has been definitively linked to increased seismic activity. Damage to roads due to the high traffic of trucks shipping equipment and product is astronomical. Worldwide, four countries have outright banned the practice and others are waiting for more research to be done before they continue to allow it. A few states know the devastating side effects that come with the practice, and have banned hydraulic fracturing. While there is no doubt that fracking can produce resources that are used by Americans, there is a lot of doubt as to whether it is safe or not. Hopefully, the country will follow those that have banned the practice, and adopt other safer forms of energy
What is Fracking? Hydraulic fracturing, also known as ‘fracking’ is a technology that involves the extraction of natural gases through the injection of harmful chemicals, sand, and water. This technique includes the process of drilling a hole deep within the surface layer of the environment. As a result, it deteriorates the density of the land, pollutes the air, and contaminates underground drinking water sources. According to Bill Freemans’s “Fracking Is Not Harmful to the Environment,” the author argues that fracking is a technique that does not harm the environment and that instead, it helps the United States achieve energy independence. In contrast to his statement, hydraulic fracturing should not be
Because of fracking within our nation we are experiencing an abundance of cheap natural gas that provides power for hospitals, schools, homes and mass transit systems. Because of this sudden growth and development the job market has massive opportunities available for Americans. The regions that have seen the highest growth in these opportunities are in Texas and North Dakota. Additionally North Dakota has seen the highest jump in income by 7.6 percent and the lowest unemployment rate in the United States. However what is ultimately shaping this economic boom is our dependence on fossil fuels. With the ever present dangers to the environment “fossil fuels will lead to increased emissions of greenhouse gases and an acceleration in climate change, the extraction of these materials will involve ever greater cost, danger and environmental risk as energy firms operate deeper and in more problematic rock formations (Klare).” Because of the end of easy access deposits the increase investment of time, money and resources becomes more valuable the deeper we extract and the more we choose to extract the more we pollute. The amount of resources that is invested into a single facking site is staggering. More than 8 million gallons of water can be used in a single frack and laced with over 600 chemicals. Some of these chemicals are known carcinogens and dangerous toxins that cause harm on
Hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking, is hitting close to home here in North Texas. Dallas-Fort Worth has become a gold mine for the natural Shale Gas that is located deep below the ground in rocks. Fracking is the use of chemicals to break down rock deep under the ground to get a natural Shale gas. In the article ‘Shale gas and tight oil: Framing the opportunities and risk’ the authors Tommy Inglesby, Rob Jenks, Scott Nyquist, and Dickon Pinner points out that fracking is very beneficial with energy security and the natural-gas. But, fracking uses harsh chemicals that can contaminate ground water, dangerous greenhouse-gas emissions and low water availability.
Hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” involves injecting massive amounts of water, chemicals, sand and other material under high pressure into shale formations to break the rock and release the gas trapped inside (McGlynn, D., 2011).
Hydraulic fracturing, or it’s more common name fracking, has been a very debatable topic for decades. Fracking is when chemicals, water and sand are pumped into the ground to break apart rock so that natural gas can be released. Not only is fracking obviously bad for the environment, but it also has many impacts on the people that surround the area. Fracking has short term benefits, but long term consequences and impacts to the entire ecosystem. Fracking that is done today can affect our future generations for many years and generations to come. Although hydraulic fracking may reduce our dependency of oil on other countries and stabilize our economy, fracking has way too many environmental and health impacts; therefore proving that fracking is problematic and should not be an energy resource that countries depend on.
There are many problems with “The entire process of fracking – from drilling a well to transporting waste – endangers our water and the health of our communities” (“Fracking”). The process of fracking contaminates drinkable water and many other resources along with it. When rivers or lakes are contaminated it can lead to the extermination of wildlife in that certain area because they no longer are able to breathe due to the amount of chemicals and waste in their habitat. After an accident with a decent amount of exploding trucks, “Twenty-five families living nearby had to evacuate their homes, one person was injured, and toxic chemicals leaked into a nearby stream” (“Act On Fracking”). Companies involved with fracking should either move away from important resources when drilling or completely stop the operation as a whole.
The amount of damage that has been done to our planet is not minute, and continues to grow. Most people like to believe that using natural gases has the ability to solve the problems that have been created over the years to the Earth. Now the question has been raised, is this really true? What if using natural gases is bringing more damage to our planet? One of the most controversial topics right now is based on the concern that water is being contaminated with poisonous chemicals left in the ground from fracking. Companies argue that fracking is not bringing any issues to the table, however research indicates that is not the case. Hydraulic fracturing continues to spread across the country and so does its baggage.