The Pros And Cons Of Fracking

Introduce the Controversy

America is facing an energy revolution. The shift from traditional energy sources such as coal and oil are fading while newer sources are being used to sustain an insatiable thirst for energy. A front-runner is natural gas, a cleanly burning and abundant alternative for conventional energy sources. This nonrenewable resource is found miles underground in prehistoric shale deposits, to show the magnitude “North America has approximately 4.2 quadrillion (4,244 trillion) cubic feet of recoverable natural gas that would supply 175 years worth of natural gas at current consumption rates” locked in these shale deposits (Loris). However, the dilemma comes from how natural gas is extracted from the earth. One of the processes of accessing the natural gas is called Hydraulic Fracturing or “Fracking”. It is the process of shooting a highly pressurized mixture of water, sand, and chemicals into cracks in the shale deposits, essentially fracturing the shale that then releases the natural gas (Malakoff).

This process is the cause of concern for many cities and populations in America; one side sees

Firstly, according to David Malakoff’s article The Gas Surge, if natural gas were used as an alternative to oil and coal, the U.S would decrease its dependency on foreign oil, which could potentially calm the social conflicts in the Middle East as well as provide a domestic and cheaper energy source. Furthermore, According to Nicolas Loris’s article, the U.S would be a top exporter of natural gas and a mecca of opportunity for domestic and international companies to create industry in the United States, which would lead to more economic success and more jobs. Loris also states, “the abundance of shale gas brings the possibility of low, stable prices” which can assuage the current and constant rising of other forms of