The Pros And Cons Of Fracking In South Africa

In conclusion one can say that fracking is creating jobs for thousands of people around the world and can help South Africa both economically and socially due to the mineral wealth. The Karoo has become known as the fifth largest site in the world of shale rock, which shows that South Africa will benefit from this in more than one way. As scientists and other professionals have previously said that we only have enough fossil fuels to last a few more years, being able to extract these gases and minerals will give scientists an extended amount of time to find alternatives for when oils, gases and minerals have run out again. Countries will also become self-dependant as now they won’t have to rely on other countries to get fossil fuels, as they will be getting it from their own country. Hence this also lowers taxes as there will be easier access to these gases and minerals.
Even though there are quite a number of positives to fracking, there are negatives and in the long run they will be more evident.
Fracking has become more popular of the last 50 years but ever since then people have become aware of the fact that it is hazardous to not only our health but also to the environment. Studies have shown that people who live near fracking site are more at risk to getting diseases such as cancer and having babies that will be born with birth defects. According to the results obtained from the survey more than 70% of people don’t know that 25% of the chemicals used during fracking are cancer causing. Only 15% of people knew that fracking can cause infertility and birth
defects.
Fracking harms the environment in more than one way. It effects water, land and is a contributor to climate change as it affects air quality. Water is one of the most important resources that every living organism needs to survive and it is a resource that is slowly becoming scarce as a result of processes such as fracking. From the results obtained from the surveys, one could see that when people were asked about why they think fracking is dangerous, most people answered saying that it contaminates the water that we drink. Millions of litres of water are needed for fracking and a lot of this water ends up being contaminated with hazardous chemicals and thereafter, not be able to be used again.
As the population rapidly increases more land is needed to house people. Fracking takes up huge areas of land to build the wells and impoundments that are needed to store the different fluids that are needed for the process. Once this land is used for fracking it can’t be used again as theses impoundments have taken up the space.
Air quality is another factor that is affected. Both wildlife and human being are affected by air quality whether they are have to leave their habitats are get disease from the hazardous chemicals that are in the air. According to the results from the table 95% of people did not know that fracking causes are pollution and that it is a contributor to global warming. Global warming has increased, hence then also increasing the rate of climate change, which will later prove to be extremely dangerous for all living things on earth.
As can see in the above statements about solutions, strict regulations need to be put in place to decrease the damage that fracking is causing. By doing this not only will the environment be in a healthier state so will human being and wildlife. Disease due to fracking will decrease and there is a small chance that the rate at which climate change will lessen but only by a small amount because there are other huge factors that contribute to it.