One of the fuels commonly used today is natural gas. Natural gas can be harvested through hydro-fracturing or fracking shale, a type of sedimentary rock. The natural gas is harvested by drilling wells deep into the shale and releasing the natural gas trapped inside. Natural gas has become increasingly important recently and as a result there has been an increased focus on attaining the natural gas through fracking. However, there has been an increasing amount of backlash about the effects that fracking has on water supplies, livestock (including animals used for food) public concerns and safety. There are documented incidents where fracking has polluted water supplies, contaminated animals and sickened people. There is a conflict between the producers and consumers of the natural gas, and the people it is affecting. Natural gas is a commodity that we are fast exploiting, and we are only beginning to see the consequences of our actions. Hydro-fracking for …show more content…
There were two spills notable because of the extent of their damage. One was about 10,500 gallons of fracking fluid that was spilled into an unnamed tributary of Brush Run, which is a fishery receiving special protections for its rich biodiversity. The spill killed fish and other types of aquatic life, and covered the water with an unnatural sheen (Wilber, 2012). This spill damaged the ecosystem of Brush Run. However, the next spill had an even worse effect. Dunkard Creek had more than 161 aquatic species. It was at the heart of one of the most biologically different watersheds in the area. On September 4, 2009, dead fish began collecting in part of Dunkard Creek. By the end of the month, just about everything in Dunkard Creek was dead. The only exception to this was an invasive microscopic alga that had invaded Dunkard Creek. And a stench hung over the watershed (Wilber,
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The United States has an immense amount of proven natural gas reserves that could become a major source for the nation's energy future (1). The mining of the natural gas resources have become feasible and cheaper due to the advancement of hydraulic fracturing technologies which have increased the amount the extraction and enabled “greater access to gas in shale formations” (2). Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking of shale formations has positive benefits that includes economic growth and the natural gas extracted is cleaner than coal and oil, however it has caused serious environmental problems and possibly could be the cause of recent seismic activity in areas where fracking operations exist (3).
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.
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
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.
Oil and natural gas companies have developed a way to drill for natural gas, a process called hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking. Natural gas is a flammable gas mixture consisting of methane and several other hydrocarbons that occur naturally underground. Natural gas is used as fuel for heating, cooking, and even in some automobiles like the “RideOn” buses. This technique has only recently become economically feasible with the rising prices of fossil fuels, and there is much potential for recovering natural gas through fracking. However, fracking has many waste products and unusual side effects caused by the unnatural forces and materials used. Fracking has a detrimental effect on the surrounding environment through pollution and earthquakes.
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
Environmental and socioeconomic debate over an alternative method of extracting natural gas thousands of feet below the surface using horizontal drilling and hydraulic “fracking” has risen in last twenty years. Fracking is the technique of drilling deep wells under high pressure with sand, water and a variety of chemicals to crack open rocks to release natural gas (hydrogen carbons) and oil from shale or coal bed methane deposits. Townships in Colorado like Lafayette and Fort Collins, voted on a moratorium to ban fracking within city limits. Environmental organizations like the Clean Water Action and Sierra Club claim that that fracking causes environmental degradation, health issues and impacts negatively on communities and their infrastructure. Whereas organizations like the Colorado Oil and Gas Association (COGA), Halliburton and other oil and gas industry and construction groups, and some local, state and federal politicians, claim that fracking is a safe method of onshore drilling. By burning natural gas which is considered a clean fuel reduces the amount of greenhouse gases that coal does as well as lower carbon energy use in the future. Fracking decrease dependence on foreign oil and gas, improves ability to generate electricity and heat home cheaply. Fracking supports local economies and provides much needed jobs (energyfromshale.org).
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...
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Tarbuck E., Lutgens F., Tasa D., 2014, An Introduction to Physical Geology, 5th Ed, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey.
Moonshine, hillbillies and a one of kind dialect is what comes to mind when most people think of the Appalachian Mountains and the Appalachia people in the eastern United States. Long identified by the population and commerce found in the area, the Appalachians are also an interesting geologic feature. Running from north to south, the Appalachian Mountain Range is one of the oldest ranges on planet Earth. Beginning to form nearly a billion years ago, the Appalachian Range extends from Alabama to Newfoundland. This paper will discuss the formation of the range in the Paleozoic Era. The different geologic features and patterns found in the northern and southern areas of the range. Finally, the Appalachia people, unique ecosystem and valuable resources found in the region. The Appalachian Mountains provide a unique place to study geological features and process.
The field of geology has many different branches. Some of these areas have hardly anything in common. The one thing that they all include, though, is that each one concentrates on some part of the Earth, its makeup, or that of other planets. Mineralogy, the study of minerals above the Earth and in its crust, is different from Petrology, the st...