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Effects of fracking essay
Effects of fracking essay
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Have you ever wondered about how today’s society is affecting the Earth? Well, today’s society is tremendously affecting it; due to hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. Fracking is very dangerous to the human body and the Earth. Not only that, but it also is not favored by the law. Hydraulic fracturing can be very damaging to the human body, there have even been lawsuits. Bob and Lisa Parr stated that after suffering through years of things such as rashes, ringing ears, nosebleeds, and nausea they had enough. The Parr’s sued the company, Chesapeake Energy Corporation, and once the case was over, they ended up receiving almost three million dollars. (The Fracking Facts) This is significant because this was the first lawsuit that was successful in the United States that was linked to poisonous air pollution of gas or oil production. Also, in 2012 a company known as Chesapeake Energy Corporation was found guilty of contaminating the drinking water of three families in Pennsylvania. Leading to a 1.6 million dollar lawsuit. Stated the article The Fracking Facts. The dangers of hydraulic fracturing go beyond just humans, hydraulic fracturing is also dangerous to the Earth. During the processes of fracturing there is …show more content…
Fracking is also not legal in some areas of the world. In fact, in 2001 France banned hydraulic fracturing due to environmental concerns (The Facts on Fracking). On top of that, in some towns, cities, and counties in the states of New York, West Virginia, Texas, Colorado, Ohio, and California they have made moratoria or even banns of hydraulic fracturing (The Fracking Facts).One might say that hydraulic fracturing is good because in the United States it is helping us become a more independent country. On the contrary hydraulic fracturing is hurting the country because fracking can cause earthquakes or tremors. In fact, in Oklahoma the biggest earthquake was caused by a hydraulic
The Keystone XL pipeline continues dividing the opinion of the people and being a controversial issue. The precious “black gold”, represents one of the main factors that moves the economy, nationally and globally. This extra-long pipeline will transport oil all the way from Canada to Texas. Some experts and the private oil corporation, who is the one in charge of this project, point to the benefits of this project, for example, will make the USA more independent from foreign oil, will create thousands of jobs and improve the economy. Nevertheless, are experts revealing how the pipeline is an unnecessary risk and will be negative for the environment, dangerous for the population living close to the big pipes, and long-term negative for the
Hydraulic fracturing, also called fracking, is a technique designed to release the gas and oil from shale rock hidden underneath earth’s surface. The term fracking itself is referring to the point at which the shale rock is broken open by a high-pressure mixture of water, sand, and chemicals. Oil and gas fracking can be dangerous to the environment and also to humans. “In 2011, energy company Cuadrilla suspended test fracking operations near Blackpool, in Lancashire, after two earthquakes of 1.5 and 2.2 magnitudes hit the area. A subsequent study found it was highly probable that shale gas test drilling triggered the tremors” (BBC). Although these tremors were too small to do any damage above ground, this was still a test drill. If an oil rig were to become operational, the tremors could increase in magnitude, causing significant damage both above ground and underneath the earth’s
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.
Current research, in the field of public health, is looking at the adverse health effects of hydraulic fracturing on community members. This research is focused on looking for evidence-based research in processes, procedures, materials and cleanup from drilling and running a well. In recent years, several states such as Maryland and New York, have called for special advisory commissions to examine the potential adverse health implications for the community if the moratoriums are lifted and fracturing is allowed to start. A lot of the previous research conducted focused on the anecdotal perspective of the adverse health effects. This perspective does not offer scientific verification that the fracturing processes are causing them or evidence where the contaminations are coming from.
In the past couple of years the word fracking has been prevalent in the media whether its been mentioned in the news or in the movie Matt Damon stared in titled “Promised Land”. Many people know it as a method of extracting gas from the earth and don’t inquire further into what hydraulic fracturing actually is. Before the process is explained we should understand why it has become prevalent in the last decade. The reason Hydraulic fracturing has become so popular in the last couple of years is because of the passage of the energy policy act of 2005, which contained the Halliburton loophole. The Halliburton loophole stripped the Environmental Protection Agency of its authority to regulate hydraulic fracturing (New York Times 2009). Allowing Hydraulic Fracturing allowed companies to finally access the abundant sources of natural gas legally. This act made it possible to access the vast amounts of natural gas contained in the Marcellus Shale, which created a boom in hydraulic fracturing. What exactly is hydraulic fracturing? Hydraulic fracturing is a method of extracting oil and gas, that is not accessible by conventional drilling methods. The process, injects chemically treated water and sand at high pressures into shale rock to release the oil and gas (Pritchard 2013).
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.
Conflicting reports make it difficult to discern just how detrimental the practice is to the environment and people. What is known is that fracking uses phenomenal amounts of water, which is becoming a scarce resource in many parts of the country. There is no doubt that the fluid used in the fracking process contains chemicals, and when released into water supplies has negative effects on these sources. Injection of flowback materials into deep wells has been definitively linked to increased seismic activity. Damage to roads due to the high traffic of trucks shipping equipment and product is astronomical. Worldwide, four countries have outright banned the practice and others are waiting for more research to be done before they continue to allow it. A few states know the devastating side effects that come with the practice, and have banned hydraulic fracturing. While there is no doubt that fracking can produce resources that are used by Americans, there is a lot of doubt as to whether it is safe or not. Hopefully, the country will follow those that have banned the practice, and adopt other safer forms of energy
Every resource on our planet is limited. This is not surprising information as humans have known this since the beginning of existence. Eventually, oil and other resources will no longer be viable sources of energy because they will be depleted. The simple answer to this inevitable issue is hydraulic fracturing. It is currently a controversial means of finding energy and was argued both ways by Josh Fox in his film Gasland as well as Phelim McAleer in his documentary FrackNation. Hydraulic fracturing, better known as “fracking”, is a safe and efficient way to acquire the copious amounts of energy needed to power the earth.
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...
Fracking is a pressurized, chemically treated mixture of water and sand to release and extract natural gas and petroleum from shale rock. There are many articles, studies being done, and organizations fighting for what they think is right. Environmentalist want the technique of fracking banned because it plays a part in global warming, affects our water, and causes human health problems. If fracking cannot be banned because of its necessity then it should be made safe and eco-friendly. The process involves a well being drilled vertically to the desired depth, then turns ninety degrees and continues horizontally for thousands of feet into the shale believed to contain the trapped natural gas. A mix of water, sand, and various chemicals is pumped into the well at high pressure in order to create fissures in the shale through which the gas can escape. Natural gas escapes through the fissures and is drawn back up the well to the surface, where it is processed, refined, and shipped to market. Flowback returns to the surface after the
Fracking is a highly controversial practice that utilizes the injection of water, chemicals and abrasives to extract relatively inaccessible pockets of natural resources. Although fracking has the potential to benefit the economy, it may also pose a significant impact on the environment, the ecosystem and safety.
Fracking should not be allowed anywhere in the United States. It causes damage to our environment and that should not be destroyed just because of profit. We should not take our environment for granted because we need to save it for our future generations that will live on earth. We should take steps to make sure we keep the earth suitable for living things to have life.
To conclude, hydraulic fracturing pollutes our air and drinking water and hurts communities. Communities with fracking have seen declines in property values,and losses in tourism and agriculture. It worsens climate change due to the chemicals released in the process, and is linked to earthquakes. “ facturing produces approximately 300,000 barrels of natural gases a day”. It is not safe, think about the communities that are already suffering from droughts? Water used on fracturing projects can be used to supply states in the west where there is no fresh water to
Around the world, countries are dependent on oil and more often than not, foreign oil. The U.S. is at a time where they believe buying foreign oil supports terrorism and hurts our economy. Shale formations deep underground that spread all over the U.S. have been found to contain natural gas. This includes the Marcellus Shale formation and the Utica Shale formation, which can be found all throughout New York State and down the East Coast (Hydro-Fracking pg.1). To get at this abundance of gas underground, hydraulic fracturing was invented, but this new method of gas extraction safe for the environment and for the people around it?