The Middle Road: Where Energy Surrounding Hydraulic Fracturing Should Be Directed

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Recommended: the effects of hydraulic fracturing

United States’ energy concerns have been postponed due to recent discovery. Estimates from the Energy Information Administration speculate enough natural gas underneath the United States to supply itself for the next 110 years (Weinstein 882). Improvement of the practice called hydraulic fracturing or fracking in which natural gas is extracted from shale rock has been able to reach previously inaccessible natural gas, dramatically increasing its profitability and sparking a boom. While critics voice environmental concerns, proponents are its pushing benefits of which include affordable energy, economic growth, energy independence, and reduced carbon emissions. Cited by Mark Weinstein in his publication on hydraulic fracturing in the U.S. and the European Union, “‘in 2010 alone, development of shale resources supported 600,000 jobs’” (882). Furthermore, domestic gas production liberates reliance on costly foreign oil, reducing the nation’s energy costs. Natural gas also emits less C02 in comparison to the nation’s main source for electricity, coal. Surely, the benefits are significant and at a time when hydraulic fracturing can mitigate U.S. economic issues, the oil industry and its proponents are prone to downplaying costs associated with fracking. Opponents, however, are well aware of the cost. As the practice of hydraulic fracturing has grown, so has its environmental impact. Increased fracking activity has raised concerns primarily over its relationship with drinking water sources due to toxic chemicals used in the process. In relation to the pending Environmental Protection Agency study to determine hydraulic fracturing’s impact on drinking water sources, existing regulations surrounding fracking are unequipped to address incr...

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...Jacquelyn. “Natural Gas Development and Hydraulic Fracturing: A Policymaker’s Guide.” National Conference of State Legislatures. NCSL (2012): 0-20. Web. 8 April. 2014.
Robbins, Kalyani. “Awakening the Slumbering Giant: How Horizontal Drilling Technology Brought the Endangered Species Act to Bear on Hydraulic Fracturing.” Case Western Reserve Law Review. Summer 2013, Vol. 63 Issue 4, p1143-1166. 24p.Academic Search Premier. Web. 9 April. 2014.
Weinstein, Mark. “Hydraulic Fracturing in the United States and the European Union: Rethinking Regulation to Ensure the Protection of Water Resources.” Wisconsin International Law Journal. Winter2013, Vol.30 Issue 4, p881-911. 31p. Academic Search Premier. Web. 9 April. 2014.
Wilber, Tom. Under The Surface. Ithica: Cornell University Press, 2012. Print.

Zuckerman, Gregory. The Frackers. New York: Penguin Group, 2013. Print.

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