Summary: The Pros And Cons Of Fracking

Since its first commercial uses in the United States in 1950, fracking has been used over 2 million times to access oil and gas that would otherwise be impossible for humans to use. There are pros and cons, like all things, to fracking. Fracking has allowed for a major drop in natural gas prices, having dropped over 47% since 2013. This saves consumers over $181 dollars a year on gas prices. Commercial fracking does pose a problem for soil and drinking water contamination, along with air pollution. It also has been linked to increased seismic activity along fault lines. Fracking is more harmful than beneficial because of effects on the environment, local communities, and human life.

How it Works Fracking is the process in which rock is

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations (NOAP), the methane released from the Weld County gas wells in Colorado is equal to the carbon emissions of 1-3 million cars. Pollutants due to fracking which include ground level ozone (also known as smog), particle matter, and dust, have been linked to illness, cancer, and even birth defects. Crystalline silica, which is used in the shape of sand, can cause silicosis in workers. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), found that at 11 fracking sites the crystalline silica exceeded the health criteria. In 31% of the samples taken, even if the workers were wearing the proper breathing equipment they still wouldn’t be properly protected. In a journal article by the Human and Ecological Risk Assessment a list of 632 chemicals that are used in the process of fracking was compiled, finding 75% of the chemicals could affect the eyes, skin, and other organs. 40-50% could affect the brain/nervous system, the immune and cardiovascular systems, 37% could affect the endocrine system (which produce hormones from various glands), and 25% could cause

This gel is already found underground, and when it is mixed with less harmful chemicals, such as ferric sulfate, it can cause the fracking of rock. Some oil and gas companies, such as Apache, are starting to eliminate the use of diesel engines and make the move over to engines that run on natural gas, cutting fuel costs by 40%. Due to the various problems that fracking poses to the environment and human health, people are looking into different ways of producing energy. A more traditional way of getting energy is through solar power. Solar power is predicted to produce 27% of the worlds energy needs by 2050. One company in Santa Barbara called HyperSolar Inc., is trying to us semiconductors that use light to generate an electrical charge which produces hydrogen at one end and water at the other. The hydrogen is then bonded to CO2 which then forms methane, the main part of natural gas. While this process is still in development, HyperSolar predicts the technology to be competitive with traditional ways of collecting natural