Persuasive Essay On Fracking

In 2000, shale beds provided just 1 percent of America’s natural gas supply. Today, that percentage is at about 25 percent, an exponential growth (“Is Fracking a good idea?”). Most of that production increase is due to the growing popularity of hydraulic fracturing otherwise known as “fracking”, a process used to release oil or gas from underground formations that are otherwise too difficult to mine. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, “shale gas plays, or fields, in the United States, most notably the Marcellus, in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and New York, and the Barnett, in Texas, are said to contain enough natural gas to power the country for 110 years.” Economically, fracking seems to be the answer to our energy conflict when the benefits are laid out in front of you. However, while all these statistics seem just dandy, the fracking process appears to be a huge problem and a threat environmentally and dangerous in regards to human health to many, but a problem that can be resolved. Although this topic is a very tricky one to side with, I have come to believe that fracking is the answer to our energy crisis, at least for now. The primary reasoning for this is that it is simply easier to fix and figure out how to prevent environmental risks associated with a viable resource for energy, than it is to find a completely new source of energy as a whole.

The one clear upside to fracking is its economic benefits and the mere fact that fracking truly does work. Fracking has given us tons of new supplies of clean burning natural gas and oil from shale, a rock formed from mud and clay that couldn’t effectively be used for anything else. These supplies give our country hope in regards to the availability of energy f...

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While this topic is certainly subjective, I believe the answer is clear. Fracking is revolutionary and is undeniably a realistic way to acquire natural gas and oil. There are definitely drawbacks to the process, however as Ryan Lance said, they have only scratched the surface of the benefits humanity can wreak from hydraulic fracturing. As the years go on, technology will advance, new elements coherent with fracking may be discovered, etc. As frequently as we try, the future cannot be predicted. However when it comes to the production and extraction of a natural resource, I don’t think there is a more predictable and reliable solution to this environmental crisis right now. Fracking works, and as humans adapt, and grow intellectually, I believe the fracking process will have very few drawbacks. All we can do now is try and eliminate the flaws associated with it.