The Pros And Cons Of Fracking

Charlotte Reeves

English 1023.25

Ms. Ball

February 17th, 2015

Fracking

Hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking, is hitting close to home here in North Texas. Dallas-Fort Worth has become a gold mine for the natural Shale Gas that is located deep below the ground in rocks. Fracking is the use of chemicals to break down rock deep under the ground to get a natural Shale gas. In the article ‘Shale gas and tight oil: Framing the opportunities and risk’ the authors Tommy Inglesby, Rob Jenks, Scott Nyquist, and Dickon Pinner points out that fracking is very beneficial with energy security and the natural-gas. But, fracking uses harsh chemicals that can contaminate ground water, dangerous greenhouse-gas emissions and low water availability.

Eventually, the chemicals that are used to break down the rock for oil are going to resurface to the top soil.

This means one of two things needs to be done, the chemicals needs to be preserved properly or disposed of in the correct manner (Inglesby, Nyquist, Jenks, and, Pinner 34). This produces a problem because the possibility of chemicals contaminating the drinking water used for the nearby cities. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), they have found groundwater pollution that was caused by fracking (Inglesby et. Al. 35). However, oil companies are taking action to change the techniques used by fracking to help prevent contamination. But, according to Tommy Inglesby et. Al. “this area is likely to be the focus of considerably more technological innovation in the future”

(35).
Another ongoing water problem pointed out by Kate Galbraith, in her article ‘As Fracking Increases, So Do Fears About Water Supply’, she states that fracking uses “roughly 4 million to 6 million gallons per oil or gas well”. The reason this is so concerning to nearly one third of the Dallas-Fort Worth area is because Texas’s on going drought problem (Fry, Hoeinghaus, Gonzalez, Thompson, and La Point 7444). Texas oil companies use “about 632 million” water containers while barely producing “about 441 million” oil containers, using only one-fifth recycled water (Galbraith 2013). The DFW area has plans to add 2.96 billion cubic meters of water by 2060 (Fry et. Al. 7444). Bringing in water from other counties and constructing new artificial lakes will help Texas achieve its new water supply goal.

Fracking is good for the economy but terrible for the environment.

If the oil industries could somehow figure out a way to extract the natural shale gas without using chemicals and using less water it would be a win-win situations. But, for now, fracking should be put to a standstill to help protect all the people that have to live near the hard chemicals and to preserve the low water supply that Dallas-Fort Worth has.

Works Cited

Fry, Mathew. Hoeinghaus, David. Ponette-Gonzalez, Alexandra. Thompson, Ruthanna. La Point, Thomas. “Fracking vs Faucets: Balancing Energy Needs and Water Sustainability at Urban Frontiers.” Environmental Science & Technology 2 July. (2012): Pg 7444-7445. Web. 3 Feb. 2015.

Galbraith, Kate. "As Fracking Increases, So Do Fears About Water Supply." New York Times 8 Mar. (2013): Web. 3 Feb. 2015.

Inglesby, Tommy. Jenks, Rob. Nyquist, Scott. Pinner, Dickon. “Shale gas and tight oil: Framing the opportunities and risks.” McKinsey & Company (2012): Pg 30-35. Web. 3 Feb. 2015.

Krauss, Clifford. "In Texas, a Fight Over Fracking." New York Times 9 Oct. (2014): Web. 3 Feb. 2015.

Krauss, Clifford. "Shale Boom in Texas Could Increase U.S. Oil Output." New York Times 27 May. (2011): Web. 3 Feb.

2015.