What Are The Pros And Cons Of Fracking
The Controversial Process of Fracking: A focus on the Karoo:
Lauren Bennett (g12b1123)
The process of hydraulic fracking involves sand and specially treated water (with chemicals), being blasted down on to rock crevices, at extremely high pressures.1 This is done in order to literally open the rock up, thereby releasing the natural gas that is present in them. This process, however, has recently become more intense. As a means to be able to drill in to the rock a great deal further, the drills used have been made to turn up to ninety degrees. 1The outcome is a more substantial and lucrative amount of gas, such as sequestrated shale layers that are wealthy with methane. This process is known as horizontal or directional …show more content…
The motion put forward by organizers was entitled “Fracking in the Karoo – for and against…” Prof Philip Lloyd, from the Energy Institute at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, made his viewpoints of fracking being beneficial very clear to the public. One of his main points used to convince those present at the debate to side with him, was the fact that the evidence showing that the sub soil water would be contaminated if fracking were to go forward, is insufficient to warrant enough concern. He describes the water present there today as “brackish and contaminated with natural uranium radio-activity”, and therefore in reality fracking would not be solely responsible for the potential toxicity of the water if it is allowed to happen.3 He goes as far as to say that even if the water were to become contaminated from the drilling, it would still be able to be consumed by humans, without damaging their health. Professor Lloyd provided the various benefits of fracking too. Job creation is one of the biggest benefits as thousands of workers would have to be employed for the project. Then there is also the potential for South Africa to move up in the ranks as one of the leading countries in gas reserves in the world. (second to countries like China and America.) Ivo Vegter, a popular journalist, shared Lloyd’s sentiments and added that, “A developing country (like South Africa) cannot afford to have a pathological distrust of capitalism or industrial development.”
Lauren Bennett (g12b1123)
The process of hydraulic fracking involves sand and specially treated water (with chemicals), being blasted down on to rock crevices, at extremely high pressures.1 This is done in order to literally open the rock up, thereby releasing the natural gas that is present in them. This process, however, has recently become more intense. As a means to be able to drill in to the rock a great deal further, the drills used have been made to turn up to ninety degrees. 1The outcome is a more substantial and lucrative amount of gas, such as sequestrated shale layers that are wealthy with methane. This process is known as horizontal or directional …show more content…
The motion put forward by organizers was entitled “Fracking in the Karoo – for and against…” Prof Philip Lloyd, from the Energy Institute at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, made his viewpoints of fracking being beneficial very clear to the public. One of his main points used to convince those present at the debate to side with him, was the fact that the evidence showing that the sub soil water would be contaminated if fracking were to go forward, is insufficient to warrant enough concern. He describes the water present there today as “brackish and contaminated with natural uranium radio-activity”, and therefore in reality fracking would not be solely responsible for the potential toxicity of the water if it is allowed to happen.3 He goes as far as to say that even if the water were to become contaminated from the drilling, it would still be able to be consumed by humans, without damaging their health. Professor Lloyd provided the various benefits of fracking too. Job creation is one of the biggest benefits as thousands of workers would have to be employed for the project. Then there is also the potential for South Africa to move up in the ranks as one of the leading countries in gas reserves in the world. (second to countries like China and America.) Ivo Vegter, a popular journalist, shared Lloyd’s sentiments and added that, “A developing country (like South Africa) cannot afford to have a pathological distrust of capitalism or industrial development.”