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The Pros And Cons Of Fracking

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Fracking has become a major issues not only in the United States, but throughout the world. With the recent fracking boom in North America, ranging from south central Canada to Texas, the topic has become more of a controversy. There is a thin line balancing the environmental and economic impact. In the end, fracking adjusts to both sides and should be implemented around the globe. Hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking, is the process of sending high pressure fluid mixtures, made up of water, sand, and chemical additives, to created hairline fractures in rocks. Below the surface there are large formations of sandstone, limestone, and shale deposits. These rocks contain natural gas and were formed by dead organisms as they decompose. Fracking then comes into use to fracture the rocks and release the gases inside.
Fracking has been used in the U.S. since …show more content…

The fluid used in fracking is 99.5 percent of sand and water, only 0.5 percent is additional chemicals (Loris). Each chemical used has specific function and some applications are reducing friction, preventing corrosion, and blocking bacteria growth. Industry does not hide any of the chemicals they use. By law, each company provides detailed information on the chemicals used and is regulated by the both the U.S. Department of Energy and Groundwater Protection Council (Williamson). This information is available to the public and can be found at FracFocus.org.
Another claim is that wastewater is not properly managed, unregulated, and harmful to the environment. Companies recycle and dispose of wastewater is many ways, all of the which meet state and federal laws. The leftover wastewater is collected and either recycled at sewage treatment plants or stored underground in steel tanks or pits. The EPA regulates these actions under the Safe Drinking Water Act and holds all companies accountable (Hydraulic

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What is fracking? Fracking is the process of drilling into the ground and releasing a high-pressure water mixture into rocks in order to fracture them and release the natural gases inside. The water mixture consists of water, sand and chemicals. Fracking is beneficial because it lowers the prices of oil and gas, reduces America’s dependency on foreign oil, and reduces CO2 contribution.

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Governments are questioning where they should allow fracking and use in to get natural gases. Fracking is the process of breaking of rocks to release natural gases using drills or explosions. The fracking used today is hydraulic fracking which is the same process but uses pressurized water to break the rocks up. In order for the pipes to not get clogged up by bacteria they use chemicals to kill them. Where the natural gas is found is dug up is thousands of feet below the surface of the earth.

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Fracking is another source of fuel, decreasing a city’s dependency on foreign oil. Fracking doesn’t cost much because it is produced locally. The amount of jobs in the oil industry has almost doubled due to fracking. However, fracking requires between one and eight million gallons of water for each fracking site. This water contains many hazardous chemicals and can possibly contaminate the environment.

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Hydraulic fracturing (also known as fracking) is the process of extracting natural gas from shale rock deep in the ground. The fracking rig drills a pipe many miles below the ground and then injects highly pressurized fracking fluids into the shale area to release the shale gas. This process uses millions of gallons of water and hundreds of thousands of gallons of chemicals. The United Kingdom (UK) government is introducing a new range of licenses that if approved would allow fracking in more areas of the UK and Scotland . Hydraulic fracking should be banned because this process is detrimental to the local environment by damaging vital eco-systems and even damaging the atmosphere.

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Fracking is a drilling technique that is tracked back to starting in 1862 but modernized around the 1990s when The father of fracking, George P MItchell combined hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling . The definition of fracking is the process of injecting liquids at high pressure into subterranean rocks, boreholes,etc to extract oil and natural gases. There are a few pros and cons of hydraulic fracturing like its effects on our environment such as causing earthquakes, global warming, and polluting water. Along with the cons comes a few pros which are based on health benefits due to less coal mining or none at all and the obvious fact of more access to more gas and oil. One of the worries of fracking is its effect on the atmosphere

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Hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as fracking, is a very controversial method of capturing oil and natural gas. It involves shooting a solution of water, sand, and almost 600 chemicals at extreme pressure into underground wells, causing the rock formations to crack. This allows the oil and natural gas to flow more freely, allowing previously trapped resources to be harvested. Fracking is so controversial because the potential monetary gains are enormous, yet the environmental impacts are devastating. The documentary “Gasland”, directed and narrated by Josh Fox, provided first hand insight into the fracking industry.

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A controversial engineering issues that has people on both sides fighting for and against it is fracking. Fracking or by its actual name “hydraulic fracturing is a type or drilling that involces safely tapping shale and other tight-rock formations by drilling a mile or more below the surface before gradually turning horizontal and continuing several thousand feet more using high pressured water, sand and chemicals” (BBC UK). The high pressure of the mixture will create small cracks on the surface of the material that they are trying to mine, and the purpose of the sand is to keep the cracks from closing back in so that the pressure of the mixture can bring the material up. The material that is mined through fracking is gas and oil. Fracking on one side of the battle is very important to the US energy because it is allowing us to produce our oil fuel supplies

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Hydraulic fracturing, also known as “fracking” is the process where natural gas is extracted from the layer of shale rock found deep in the earth’s crust. Fracking is a highly controversial topic. Controversy arises from debates tying fracking to contaminated drinking water, excessive amounts of water use, higher greenhouse-gas emissions, the use of carcinogens during the process. Few people that are educated on the topic will not choose a side, most will form a strong personal opinion swaying either for or in opposition to fracking. I believe that fracking is dangerous, not only for those living today, but also those that will have to endure the consequences of fracking in the future.

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In today’s global fight for the growing demand of energy and promotion of saving energy, fracking has become very controversial. The dangers to our society and health are at the forefront in conducting safer practices. To obtain the natural gas, fracking or hydraulic fracking must be conducted. Fracking is defined as blasting high-pressure water, sand, and chemicals deep underground, and allowing the formations to fracture. This practice releases the natural gas out of the formations and is used for power.

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Fracking is hydraulic fracturing which is injecting fluid into cracks in rocks and the earth to force them further open, releasing oil and natural gas. Facking is a very controversial topic. Big business and oil companies like fracking because it allows easier ways to get oil and gas. However, environmentalists and green supporters don’t like fracking because it contributes to climate change, adds harsh chemicals to the ground and destroys land. There are pros and cons to fracking regardless of view point.

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It involves high-pressure injections of water and chemicals into rock formations, which in turn release natural gas (Thompson, “Hydraulic Fracturing Should Be Banned”). However, fracking can result in many negative outcomes. For instance, scientists who conducted the earthquake study for Geology discovered that not only did fracking cause the biggest earthquake in Oklahoma, but it also caused more earthquakes in states that hardly experienced any seismic activity (“Wastewater Injection Spurred Biggest Earthquake Yet, Says Study,” The Earth Institute Columbia University). In fact, quakes have hit so frequently in Oklahoma, that state and oil regulators decided to shut down five disposal wells due to the increasing number of earthquakes in a city named Cushing (“Oil Regulators Shut Down Two Disposal Wells After Earthquakes Near Cushing”, State Impact: NPR).

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Fracking is the process of injecting liquid at high pressure into subterranean rocks, boreholes, etc., to force open existing fissures and extract oil or gas. Fracking takes place in the United states as well as other countries such as China, Canada, Denmark and Saudi Arabia (Dews, F.). Two stakeholders that are involved with this topic include Oil/gas companies and environmentalists. Oil and gas companies are trying to increase the amount of fracking going on to extract as much oil and gas as possible which will increase oil sales and decrease the price of gasoline therefore helping the economy. People who want to protect the environment want to ban fracking due to its negative impacts on the environment.

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Fracking has actually been taking place since the 1940’s, but not until it was combined with horizontal drilling was it extremely useful (“Hydraulics” 71-75). In the past fifteen years the fracking business has skyrocketed. By 2015 thirty-five thousand wells are using fracking methods in order to extract the natural gases each year. Ninety percent of all gas production in the United States would be impossible without fracking (“Hydraulics” 71-75). More than ninety percent of natural gas wells in the U.S. rely on fracking (Howarth, Ingraffea, and Engelder).

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Hydraulic fracturing or fracking, forces natural gas and crude oil out of shale buried deep below the earth by using highly pressurized and treated water. The cracking of the shale by

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The process of fracking allows humans to extract the colorless, shapeless and odorless gas and oil when it is in its original form, which is later on used for electric power, in industries, in vehicles and in other important worldwide makings. Finally, the significance of fracking in the United States has clearly become leading to macroeconomists to state that the country is changing from a “net importer” to a “net exporter” of oil and gas over the coming years. Table 1: " What Is Fracking and Why Is It Controversial? - BBC News.

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