Pros Of Fracking

1017 Words3 Pages

In the United States today, one of the most controversial topics facing the country is the practice of fracking, or hydraulic fracturing. It is considered by many to be both an environmental issue and topic of intense political debate. However, despite the strong feelings that many people have on the subject, a small percentage of them actually understand the techniques that fracking utilizes. And it is easy to fear or avoid something that little is known about. To formulate an adequate opinion on the process of fracking, a person has to have a grasp of the science that goes into it and a bit of its history. Fracking is a process that increases the effective porosity, or permeability, of a rock’s subsurface. Porosity is a measure of the volume …show more content…

Fracking was commercially introduced in 1949, and has been used ever since, especially growing through the oil and gas fields of Texas and Oklahoma. Fracking involves the penetration of shale and rock formations by drilling into the ground and pumping chemicals to force open cracks in the rock. The purpose of fracking is to release gas that is located in the rock, and offers a less expensive and more efficient way than drilling a multitude of expensive wells in various locations.
As with anything, there are both risks and benefits involved with fracking. Fracking has proven beneficial in the fact that it allows access to more gas and oil. Statistically speaking, the United States is ranked #6 in the world in terms of proven natural gas reserves. The US has approximately 6.93 trillion cubic centimeters of natural gas, accounting for 3.64% of all …show more content…

In regards to a lack of advancement, many people are concerned that due to how easily we can attain natural gas through fracking reaching difficult deposits, we will not look into a situation that proves harder-finding renewable and alternative energy resources. Rather than search for solar, geothermal, or wind energy perhaps, we will continue to pump harmful chemicals into the ground and cause global warming much more rapidly due to our excessive use of fossil and atmosphere-damaging fuels. Based on this point, it is no wonder that another con to fracking pertains to the conflict of air pollution. In regards to the prospect of seismic activity, based on the 2014 Annual Reviews of Environment and Resources paper, between 1967 and 2000, geologists observed a rate of 21 earthquakes level 3.0 Mw or greater in the central US per year. In 2001, when fracking was used to provide shale gas and other “unconventional” energy sources more frequently, the number increased to 100 earthquakes of that caliber, with 188 in 2011 alone. Supplemental research in Texas and Oklahoma also suggest that fracking can cause risky changes on seismic activity. Lastly, one of the greatest concerns with fracking- water pollution. The water that is pumped into the ground during fracking is filled with chemicals, and is not always properly

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