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Costs and benefits of drilling for natural gas
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In 2009, the filmmaker Josh Fox set out on a journey to discover the harmful risks of natural gas drilling. His property,sitting on a huge reservoir called marcellus shale field, is recognized for its abundance of natural gas. The energy policy act of 2005 exempts natural gas drilling from certain environmental regulations. This act incentivized the oil industry to invest more on natural gas. For this reason, natural gas development has altered the lives of many people. For example, there was a scene that demonstrated the the extent of the contamination. People’s houses became so contaminated with natural gas that their water caught on fire. And in other cases, the exposure to natural gas lead to spike in health problems. Preliminary studies
On April 9, 1997, Rig 52 that belonged to Mallard Bay Drilling was towed to a location in the territorial waters of Louisiana, where it drilled a well over two miles deep. After the well was almost complete an explosion occurred killing four of the crew and injuring several others. Seeing that this was a marine casualty in navigable U.S. waters, under existing regulations the United States Coast Guard responded. When the investigation was over the Coast Guard did not find any violations of their regulations and noted it was an uninspected vessel and the operator held an Operator Uninspected Passenger Vessel (OUPV) license. Soon after the incident the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited Mallard Bay Drilling for violations
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,
The documentary ‘Gasland” is a telling tale of the terrible consequences of natural gas mining in the US. The filmmaker, Josh Fox, travels around the country visiting different homes that are in very close proximity of natural gas drilling sites after receiving a $100,000 offer from a natural gas company to use his land as a drilling site . The film focuses on how the drilling sites not only leave ugly scars on the land, but also the horrendous health problems people get from drinking the contaminated groundwater.
There is an abundance of oil underneath earth’s crust on land and in the water but getting to that oil can be proven as a challenge and a negative impact on the earth. Many of these oil reservoirs lie in federally protected land or water to minimize the negative impact on the earth. But should those restrictions be removed? Removing the restrictions can allow the US to tap into domestic reserves rather than rely on imported oil from the Middle East and Asia but tapping these reservoirs can also leave behind an impact that is harmful to this planet. “Critics oppose this move for fear that it will cause irreparable harm environmental harm. They point to the April 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico as evidence of the risks associated with offshore drilling” (SIRS).
The oil and gas industry has been met with increasing opposition over the years, with fracking and water pollution being some of the most controversial subjects alongside others like pollution, global warming, and claims of corruption. While some anti-frack claims seem like viable arguments, many are the product of misconceptions, an uninformed public. One of the greatest examples of this is Josh Fox’s 2010 documentary GasLand, whose most memorable scene showed a man in Fort Lupton, Colorado, lighting his faucet on fire, blaming it on hydraulic fracturing. After the film was released, among numerous errors it contained, it was found that the water well contained naturally occurring biogenic gas unrelated to oil and gas activity (Energy In Depth).
Natural gas in the Karoo has raised several optimism regarding the abundance that has been found, however several ethical issues are raised when drilling natural gas.... ... middle of paper ... ...(2011) 750 different chemicals were used by various oil and gas companies during hydraulic fracturing over a four year period, where a minimum of 29 were identified to contain carcinogens which are listed as hazardous on both the Clean Air and Safe Drinking Water Act. The USEPA (2011) suggested that chemicals used during fracking should be monitored according to specific criteria. With the technical background in mind, this is certainly one of the categories to decide if fracking is ethical or not.
Fracking can cause harm to people, animals, and nature. When they drill into the ground they are pumping chemicals to extract the gas and oil, and this contaminates the water sources around it. “An editorial on gas extraction from the Marcellus Shale in the Post-Star, a newspaper in Glens Falls, New York, contends, “New York state simply can’t take the risk. There are plenty of places to find fuel. It’s not so easy to find a new water supply for 17 million people.”” (Hydrofracking
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...
Around the mitten shaped state of Michigan, five gigantic lakes encompass the coast. Providing a spot for vacationers, fisherman, and much wildlife, the Great Lakes are the pride and joy of Michigan. The history of the lakes stretches back thousands of years, where glaciers carved the lakes out of bedrock. These lakes provided a surplus of food and access to easy travel for settlers hundreds of years ago. People around the Great Lakes area appreciate the diversity of wildlife, scenery, and rarity of such landmarks. When the question of whether to drill in these lakes for oil and natural gas came up, it ignited many debates. Is our wildlife more important than oil to us? Or does the presence of oil and natural gas mean we can corrupt our environment and endanger many different types of species, along with ourselves?
I spent three years in the U.S. Army. I always knew that one day I would join, but I wasn 't given the chance to finish what I started there. I gained a very unique perspective of the world. I was injured halfway through my first tour and subsequently I was medically discharged against my will. When I was transitioning out, there were many briefings I was required to sit through in order to complete the process. One of the most memorable was the resume writing class. If a soldier decided to attend and pay attention, I think the most important thing they would have learned is to never have a single plan. You should always have at least five plans for each important transition in life. These plans should all carry equal weight. Your time should
Before one can see the devastating effects of fracking, one must first understand how fracking works. As previously stated, the main intent of hydro-fracking is to access and harvest natural gas that lies below the surface of the Earth. Having formed over 400 million years ago by the collision of tectonic plates (Marsa 3), the Marcellus Shale plays host to a gold mine of natural gas, which is currently at the center of the fracking debate in the Northeastern region of the United States. Unfortunately, access...
Janise Miescke 5/6/2017 Assignment 3 When Money Speaks Louder than Obligation Texas has always been one to hold the belief ‘everything is bigger in Texas’.
The United States relies on imports for about forty percent of its crude oil, which is the lowest rate of dependency since 1991 according to the U.S Energy Information Administration. Today our country is trying to keep on track in becoming less and less dependent. When it comes to the topic of the future ways the United States will get its fuel, most of us readily agree that the United States should become more independent by using natural gas that is already here on our land. Where this argument usually ends, however, is on the question of the consequences drilling for natural gas brings. Whereas some are convinced drilling is safe, others maintain that it is actually in fact dangerous. Hydraulic fracturing or "fracking", the terms for drilling for natural gas, is dangerous to our public health and to the environment because of the water contamination it causes. Therefore, it is not something that should become a project for alternative fuel used by the United States.
Since the early 2000’s, after new technological advancements in fracking and the discovery of large shale reserves across the country, fracking has increased domestic energy production substantially. Shale gas production has increased 20% from 2005 to 2012, promoting a more prosperous economic demand for domestic energy solutions (Pritchard). The demand for transportation vehicles, fuel, housing and water also increases with the expansion of fracking. Furthermore, the increase in fracking has increased employment significantly. In a country struggling to rebound from a recession, well-paying jobs are easily accessible in the booming oil field. This is evident in the prosperous state of North Dakota, in which the unemployment rate has fallen to 2.8 %( Gottesdiener). However, although this industrial expansion creates temporary employment, the consequences of mismanagement may also cost millions of dollars to repair. Fracking has the potential to create environmental damage such as water contamination, radioactive spills, and increased seismic activity that could cost thousands of dollars in damage. The cleanup of drinking water contamination is difficult and expensive, and ultimately rarely attempted. Moreover, the cost to replace the drinking water of contaminated homes and communities also cost a substantial amount of money (The Costs of
The oil & gas industry is among the largest industries in the world. The sector generates large revenues and employs a large number of people in order to meet the worldwide demand for energy.