Jared Diamond author of “The Ends of the World as We Know Them” highlights the reasons for the disappearance of early civilizations. Civilizations like the Mayans, Incas and Aztecs once inhabited the earth for hundreds of years, However; when these advanced civilizations reached the pinnacle of their capability, they faced tragedies such as war, unusual weather, environmental deprivation, terminated trade markets and unscrupulous leaders who contributed to the destruction of their civilization. One significant idea portrayed from Diamond’s article is that there are many factors that threaten American civilization. America is threatened by the destruction of their own environment. United States is known for their innovation towards alternative energy like solar power, wind power and nuclear power. However , these alternative energies are not completely beneficial towards the United States. For example, Hydrofracking; What is hydrofracking? Gas industries use hydrofracking to extract natural gases from shale ground in order to power Americans homes. When gas industries hydrofrack, they dig ten-thousand feet into the mantle of the earth and turn perpendicular to the t into shale layers with cement and steel casing to prevent leaks. Then rupture the layer of sediment with high pressures of water, sand and a plethora of chemicals. Once the chemicals are saturated in the crevices of the drill site, they extract the excess fluid and then ship them to market. The process of hydrofracking allows for a new source of renewable energy, but it takes a toll on the environment. Five-hundred plus of toxic chemicals like hydrochloric acid, sodium chloride and formic acid are left in the ground. The chemicals produce gases, there... ... middle of paper ... ...nched from North Korea and fell after flying for just over a minute," Japanese Defence Minister Naoki Tanaka said.”(-North). Also America’s defense secretary Chuck Hagel defends this case saying “neither Iran nor North Korea is capable of attacking the United States with a missile armed with a nuclear warhead.”(-Hagel). The article by Jared Diamond called “The End of The World as We Know Them” explains to us we have the chance to change our future from previous civilianization like Mayans. One alternative that we can infer is a stronger focus on benefiting the earth and not our self. For example instead of using war to gain more resources from other countries and cause more damage to other civilization, we should all live in peace and live natural energy from the sun like solar panels. If we keep the ground that we live on, we can keep our lives that we dwell on.
Jared Diamond, author of the Pulitzer Prize Winning, National Best Selling book Guns, Germs and Steel, summarizes his book by saying the following: "History followed different courses for different peoples because of differences among peoples' environments, not because of biological differences among peoples themselves." Guns, Germs and Steel is historical literature that documents Jared Diamond's views on how the world as we know it developed. However, is his thesis that environmental factors contribute so greatly to the development of society and culture valid? Traditions & Encounters: A Brief Global History is the textbook used for this class and it poses several different accounts of how society and culture developed that differ from Diamond's claims. However, neither Diamond nor Traditions are incorrect. Each poses varying, yet true, accounts of the same historical events. Each text chose to analyze history in a different manner. Not without flaws, Jared Diamond makes many claims throughout his work, and provides numerous examples and evidence to support his theories. In this essay, I will summarize Jared Diamond's accounts of world history and evolution of culture, and compare and contrast it with what I have learned using the textbook for this class.
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.
On April 22, 1997 Jared Diamond, an American scientist, author, bio geographer, and professor, addresses the topic of patterns in human history and conquests taken place around A.D. 1500 in “Why Did Human Unfold Differently Continents for The Last 13,000 Years?” to the Edge Foundation. Diamond uses proximate reasons like military and technological advantages, the spread of contagious diseases introduction by the Europeans, the political organization and writing. I agree with his views that other things being equal, the rate of human invention is faster and the rate of cultural loss is slower in areas with with competing societies and in contact with societies elsewhere. I believe he used more proximate reasoning because those are most commonly known. His purpose is to understand so we don’t repeat history. Also he wants to provide us with a convincing alternate explanation to the currently racist in order to eradicate racist theories. He adopts an informative tone for his audience members of the Edge Foundation and others interested in the topic. Diamond's approach on analyzing human evolution takes a more scientific route. History and biology are both intertwined in his reading.
Osborn, S. G., A. Vengosh, N. R. Warner, and R. B. Jackson. "Methane Contamination of Drinking Water Accompanying Gas-well Drilling and Hydraulic Fracturing." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 108.20 (2011): 8172-176. Print.
First, a production well is drilled down into the ground for thousands of feet and then gradually leveled so that the tip of the drill travels horizontally through the ground. The second part of the process is where it gets the name of “fracking” because the second step in the process is where a mixture of sand, water, and chemicals, many of which are known to be harmful, are forced under extremely high pressure down into the shale through the horizontal part of the drill.... ... middle of paper ... ... Retrieved from the Gale Science in Context database. (A264004904) -.
Even in America, some of the civilizations had begun collapsing mainly due to over usage of raw materials and climate changes. However, the change of the civilization was not devastating as the outcomes of the diseases that came with the Europeans. The diseases was estimated by scholars to have wiped out 90 percent of the people living at that time bracket (Anandajoti, 2014).
Fracking, short for hydraulic fracturing, is the process of extracting natural gas from the ground. A well is drilled vertically to the shale layer (where the natural gas is located), then turns ninety degrees and continues horizontally for several thousand feet into the shale. A mix of water, sand, and chemicals is pumped into the
“Many people are excited about fracking because the U.S. has a lot of natural gas and fracking allows us to get at natural gas that we couldn’t get before. They say it is better to get our fuel from our own country than from foreign countries. Fracking can also create lots of jobs, which our country needs.” (“The Fracking Controversy”) Aubrey McClendon of Chesapeake Energy states, “Every company—big company in ...
...tion, but a pessimistic one because change is hindered by the system of capitalism that prioritizes the needs of the market and economy before the environment, which is a paradox in itself because markets need the environment to produce the materials that allow it to survive to begin with first place. To reiterate Wright, the progress trap is hitting modern society and people should recall fallen civilizations in order to escape what is inevitable: collapse. Delaying the collapse is not good enough, and changing the track no matter how difficult a move this is, is needed in order to prevent to sustain life on Earth.
“In 1821 decades before the first oil well was drilled, commercial shale gas was extracted in Fredonia, New York”(Sovacool 250). The availability of natural gas and its relatively clean properties has allowed the expansion of natural gas extraction. By the year 2005, the extraction of shale gas had expanded with the discovery of hydraulic fracturing. In the United States alone it has led to an enormous growth in the oil industry and this technology has been adopted by many other countries around the world including Iran, Canada, and Europe. As a result, the country is less dependent on foreign countries to meet the growing demand for natural gas, and it has improved the country’s economy while producing less carbon emissions into the atmosphere. But what is hydraulic fracturing?
The high pressure causes the rock layer to crack. The Fracking fluid is used to release the natural gas and fill cracks in the rock layer. The chemicals in the Fracking fluid contain a component called a proppant. The proppant is a material that prevents the created fractures from closing after the fracturing treatement. Types of proppant include silica sand, resin-coated sand, bauxite, and other man-made ceramics. The most used proppant is silica sand, even though other ingredients, such as resin-coated sand, or bauxite is more effective. Fracking fluid varies depending on the fractering type chosen. The fluid can be foam, gel, or slickwater. Fluids such as gel, are better at holding the cracks between the rocks, but gel is more harmful to humans. So slickwater is chosen to be the fluid used most during the Fracking process. But since slickwater is really weak in keeping the rocks separated, it has to be ejected at higher pressure. But since slickwater has to be ejected at higher pressure, the proppant can seep through the layer above the rock layer. Causing the harmful fluids to contaminate the water that we use to drink.
Numerous reports have been given on the dangerous affects of hydraulic fracturing. One such affect that has been noticed is that drinking water wells near the fracturing sites have been contaminated. During the hydro-fracking process, injected fluids that help to break and keep open the rock bed where the natural gas is kept, have “been known to travel three thousand feet from the well (Goldman).” This fluid could have the potential to enter and contaminate any water well for homes around hydraulic fracturing sites. This incident is one of the major problems that people want to figure out and know about before they allow a fracturing site by them. It has been the most feared outcome of having a fracking site nearby, and it is highly appropriate. One site in Wyoming had this happen, “…in August, EPA reported that eleven of thirty-nine drinking-water wells near a Wyoming hydraulic fracturing operation were contaminated with chemicals used in the fracturing process (Hobson EPA).” In Pennsylvania, another such case occurred, “There have already been severe pollution cases in Pennsylvania, mo...
The process starts with drilling a hole into the ground where hard rock formations are abundant. Shale, tight sand, and coal seam are primarily used as natural gas deposits in the United States (EPA, 2016). The hole is then drilled horizontally, usually for miles across to access enough shale rock. Large volumes of fluid are sent down the opening at a highly pressurized rate (BBC, 2015). The fluid, a mixture of chemicals, water, and sand, is sent along the horizontal section, which causes the geological formation to break, or fracture from the pressure. Within these fractures are natural gas molecules, which are forced to the ground surface when they are released by the fracking fluid. Massive amounts of fresh water from local sources are needed; approximately 5 million gallons (Gottlieb, 2012). This form of natural gas extraction increases the amount of fresh water used by each natural gas well by as much as one hundred times the quantity used in conventional drilling (Gilbert, 2010). Risk of contamination can be through seepage or spillage into ground water supply, improper wastewater disposal, and natural gas leakage (EPA, 2016). Rural communities and fracturing have a higher risk of being exposed to toxic fracturing fluid and poor air
Solar, wind, and hydroelectricity are all great ideas, however as outlined in the recent Alternative Lie Series these alternatives still require extensive research and development (R&D) before they can be deemed as viable options to replace oil. Some of these alternate energy sources are simply too costly for the average American family, while others have components that are not safe for the environment. Until suitable energy alternatives are created, Americans can continue to depend on our established network of oil refineries and pipelines.
Fracking, also known as hydraulic fracturing or hydrofracking, is the process of natural gas extraction from shale (fine grained sedimentary rock) deep within the earth, and considered a relatively new process. Although the technique of fracking has been known since the 1940s, only in the recent decade has there been a fracking boom. The process of fracking begins with a vertically drilled well, which then turns ninety degrees and continues horizontally into the shale rock layer. A mix of several thousand tonnes of sand, around eight million litres of water, and two hundred thousand litres of various chemicals (known as fracking fluid) is then pumped at high pressures into the well to create fissures which the gas can use to escape. The sand is used to prevent the cracks from closing, the chemicals are used to compress the water, kill bacteria and dissolve the minerals. The natural gas that escapes is then drawn back up the well to the surface, where it is processed and shipped. After the fracking process is completed, wastewater, containing potentially toxic chemicals, returns to the surface. Once the gas source is exhausted, the wastewater is pumped back into the deep underground layers and the well is sealed. This article will address how fracking contributes to water pollution, and the resulting effects.