Pros And Cons Of Fracking Or Hydraulic Fracturing
Fracking is a very popular conversational topic or subject of commercials, media etc.. But many people actually do not know what it is, does and risks.
Fracking, or Hydraulic Fracturing is the process of pumping a high-pressured fluid (consisting out of water, sand, and other chemicals) into shale rocks to widen the fractures (Fracking). This releases the pockets of gas or petroleum inside the rock, and making them accessible to the human (Hyder, Joseph).
It was developed in the 1940’s, but, since it is very expensive, had it’s real boom in the last decades where gas prices were comparable high (Hyder, Joseph).
Now this all sounds very nice, but fracking is one of the most debated topics recently out of following reasons: It takes an immense amounts of water, it poses the …show more content…
risk of contaminating the groundwater (Hyder, Joseph), it is suspected to cause small earthquakes (Hyder, Joseph), and lastly, extracting even more oil and gas out of the ground will stress the earth and the climate even more (Dimmick, Dennis).
Also, even if fracking takes place (with all of these side effects), it will only postpone the inevitable changes we have to make, like renewable resources, if we want to continue to live on this planet.
Fracking, however, like mentioned, is a complicated process that can not be reduced to negatives. Fracking is boosting the American economy at the moment. The gas price in the States has sunken by 40% in november, to an incredible low (Dimick, Dennis). And since the State's’ economy is very closely tied to the gas and oil prices, it has boosted and helped the US.
By 2035, it is predicted, that 50% of the gas extraction the the US will be sourced from fracking (Hyder, Joseph).
Since the US is slowly running out of gas, fracking opens other doors. Using and selling this fracked gas pumps money into the country. But, although the prices are at an unbelievable low, even this can not be sustained. Fracking is a very expensive process, and the high gas prices of the last years made it a very good business, but now that they are that low, fracking stops to be attractive (Dimick, Dennis). This means, that the low prices are only temporary, they will balance out in a span of a few weeks/months, they have started to do so right now (nasdaq.com).
Basically, it is what was said earlier, fracking can not be sustained. Oil and gas prices aside, there is only so much to frack. At one point we will also run out of that resource. Here is where sources conflict, it ranges from a decline of production starting in 2020 (Dimick, Dennis), to a reserve that will last is 6 decades (What is Fracking?). So let's even say, that it will last us for half a century, that will put an end to fracking well within most students lifetimes, and then we are forced to search for
alternatives.
All that aside, there are still incredible environmental issues, fracking used a huge amount of water, one single well can require up to 7 million Gallons of water, of which 30% is lost, unrecoverable (Hyder, Joseph). Hundreds of thousands of gallons are lost through fracking, limiting the earth's water supply. Water is essential to live, and to waste it on something that will be over in 50 years is very questionable. “The fracking process pumps water mixed with sand (plus chemical additives)” (Fracking) into the ground. Those chemical additives are corporate secrets, meaning, that they are not even open for people to look at. Many have claimed that these additives pose a large threat to the ground water. So you are not only using immense quantities of water, you are also threatening the groundwater. More gas and oil will logically also stress the earth. People thought, now that we are slowly running out of resources, we can start saving the world. Now new ones have been opened, and all good resolutions are forgotten.
Fracking is all over not a energy source people should rely on. It may help the US now, but, is it even a good thing? Lower prices result in more use, resulting in more greenhouse gases, which support the climate change. And even those low prices are unsustainable. Then you have all that water usage and contamination only to push the “truth” away, no matter how many more ways we find to extract the earth’s resources, they will come to an end, and then we have to make big changes. Fracking is maybe a bridge to renewable energies, which we have to use anyways. So do not take it for granted, make the changes now before it is too late.
Fracking, or Hydraulic Fracturing is the process of pumping a high-pressured fluid (consisting out of water, sand, and other chemicals) into shale rocks to widen the fractures (Fracking). This releases the pockets of gas or petroleum inside the rock, and making them accessible to the human (Hyder, Joseph).
It was developed in the 1940’s, but, since it is very expensive, had it’s real boom in the last decades where gas prices were comparable high (Hyder, Joseph).
Now this all sounds very nice, but fracking is one of the most debated topics recently out of following reasons: It takes an immense amounts of water, it poses the …show more content…
risk of contaminating the groundwater (Hyder, Joseph), it is suspected to cause small earthquakes (Hyder, Joseph), and lastly, extracting even more oil and gas out of the ground will stress the earth and the climate even more (Dimmick, Dennis).
Also, even if fracking takes place (with all of these side effects), it will only postpone the inevitable changes we have to make, like renewable resources, if we want to continue to live on this planet.
Fracking, however, like mentioned, is a complicated process that can not be reduced to negatives. Fracking is boosting the American economy at the moment. The gas price in the States has sunken by 40% in november, to an incredible low (Dimick, Dennis). And since the State's’ economy is very closely tied to the gas and oil prices, it has boosted and helped the US.
By 2035, it is predicted, that 50% of the gas extraction the the US will be sourced from fracking (Hyder, Joseph).
Since the US is slowly running out of gas, fracking opens other doors. Using and selling this fracked gas pumps money into the country. But, although the prices are at an unbelievable low, even this can not be sustained. Fracking is a very expensive process, and the high gas prices of the last years made it a very good business, but now that they are that low, fracking stops to be attractive (Dimick, Dennis). This means, that the low prices are only temporary, they will balance out in a span of a few weeks/months, they have started to do so right now (nasdaq.com).
Basically, it is what was said earlier, fracking can not be sustained. Oil and gas prices aside, there is only so much to frack. At one point we will also run out of that resource. Here is where sources conflict, it ranges from a decline of production starting in 2020 (Dimick, Dennis), to a reserve that will last is 6 decades (What is Fracking?). So let's even say, that it will last us for half a century, that will put an end to fracking well within most students lifetimes, and then we are forced to search for
alternatives.
All that aside, there are still incredible environmental issues, fracking used a huge amount of water, one single well can require up to 7 million Gallons of water, of which 30% is lost, unrecoverable (Hyder, Joseph). Hundreds of thousands of gallons are lost through fracking, limiting the earth's water supply. Water is essential to live, and to waste it on something that will be over in 50 years is very questionable. “The fracking process pumps water mixed with sand (plus chemical additives)” (Fracking) into the ground. Those chemical additives are corporate secrets, meaning, that they are not even open for people to look at. Many have claimed that these additives pose a large threat to the ground water. So you are not only using immense quantities of water, you are also threatening the groundwater. More gas and oil will logically also stress the earth. People thought, now that we are slowly running out of resources, we can start saving the world. Now new ones have been opened, and all good resolutions are forgotten.
Fracking is all over not a energy source people should rely on. It may help the US now, but, is it even a good thing? Lower prices result in more use, resulting in more greenhouse gases, which support the climate change. And even those low prices are unsustainable. Then you have all that water usage and contamination only to push the “truth” away, no matter how many more ways we find to extract the earth’s resources, they will come to an end, and then we have to make big changes. Fracking is maybe a bridge to renewable energies, which we have to use anyways. So do not take it for granted, make the changes now before it is too late.