NO FRACKING

Hydro-Fracking for Natural Gas Hydraulic fracking or hydro-fracking is the fracturing of rock to extract natural gases from the ground. To fracture the rock and extract the natural gases, a large amount of water, combined with chemicals, is pumped into the ground at high pressures to open up existing fractures. After this process, the gas can flow freely into the drilled gas well. However, Hydro-fracking should not be used because it destroys the land, air, water, and the health of the people. Hydro-fracking has a vast negative effect on the environment we live in. One example is land. To make space for the process of hydro-fracking, the land must be cleared through clear cutting. This means that thousands of areas of wilderness and forests are cut down just to make hydro-fracking possible. Just imagine all those huge trucks and clearing machinery storming through our city, cutting down the nature we treasure. As a result of the clear cutting, the area becomes more vulnerable. There is a greater chance of soil erosion and mass soil movement on steeper slopes. As well as this, clear cutting for hydro-fracking also makes the area of land more vulnerable to damage. The forests grow back even-aged, which makes it more exposed to wind and ice damage. Not only this, clear cutting can also cause wildfires and earthquakes which can damage the land even more. Land isn’t the only element of the environment affected by hydro-fracking though; the other parts of the environment are also affected. Air is the second aspect of the environment that is affected by hydraulic fracturing. Hydro-fracking can cause pollution in the air in an assortment of ways. For example, dust from truck traffic and construction as well as diesel fumes all pollute the fresh air we breathe in. However, the most dangerous pollution to the air would be the Volatile organic compounds, otherwise known as VOCs. Some VOCs include benzene and formaldehyde. These invisible gases are usually not released