Fracking and its Effect on the Environment Essay - 1464 Words

Oil and natural gas companies have developed a way to drill for natural gas, a process called hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking. Natural gas is a flammable gas mixture consisting of methane and several other hydrocarbons that occur naturally underground. Natural gas is used as fuel for heating, cooking, and even in some automobiles like the â€Å"RideOn† buses. This technique has only recently become economically feasible with the rising prices of fossil fuels, and there is much potential for recovering natural gas through fracking. However, fracking has many waste products and unusual side effects caused by the unnatural forces and materials used. Fracking has a detrimental effect on the surrounding environment through†¦show more content†¦The added chemicals help reduce problems such as a buildup of bacteria and mineral deposits (OSU). Fracking is a very water intensive process and uses up to four million gallons of fresh water for each well, and wi th about thirty-five thousand wells in the United States, fracking consumes the same amount of water as five million people (Schmidt). Most of the water used remains trapped down in the rocks where the natural gas previously was, but about thirty to seventy percent of the water resurfaces as what is called â€Å"flowback†. Flowback water is full of minerals, salts, and often times some radioactive materials. The flowback water is stored in temporary lagoons or lakes until it is transported to facilities that treat the water or facilities that have permits to inject into deep â€Å"Class II wells† or dump into rivers, streams, and lakes along with other wastewater from other sources (OSU). Most of the facilities that are used to treat the flowback water before they are put back into water systems as treated water are not equipped to treat all the contaminants of flowback water. In all the research done, there have been no results that suggest the wastewater inside the wells contaminate or pollute groundwater that people use as drinking water. However surface spills of flowback been mostly unnoticed even though the flowback water that leaks from the storage lagoons into waterways and drinking water has potential to be especially harmful. RecentShow MoreRelatedFracking : Fracking And Its Effects On The Environment1286 Words   |  6 Pagesfracturing, commonly referred to as frac king, is a widespread practice in the United States. Fracking is a method used to extract oil and natural gas. Scientists and citizens report detrimental side effects of hydraulic drilling. New York and Vermont have banned fracking statewide. Maryland has set a two year moratorium on fracking, so that more research can be done to show the impacts of fracking on the environment. Nationwide, many other cities and counties have banned fracking as well. All states shouldRead MoreFracking And Its Effects On The Environment856 Words   |  4 PagesFracking is one the most recent and efficient methods to create energy. In order to obtain this controversial natural gas, new jobs are created in rural areas, and as expected, electric bills decreased. Furthermore, Fracking creates enormous amounts of gas at an inexpensive price making the production of any other form of energy practically obsolete. Although not all countries or states in the United States think alike, some of them dispute the claim that fracking negatively affects the environmentRead MoreFracking And Its Effects On The Environment1443 Words   |  6 Pageswhat experts and passionate amateurs alike have been debating about fracking, also known as hydraulic fracturing.. Although it has the potential to be a very lucrative process, presently fracking is far too detrimental to the environment, for example Southern Illinois’ Shawnee National Forest, for any environmentally conscious human being to be supportive of until there is a large change in the way the process affects the environment. Hydraulic fracturing is â€Å"the process of injecting liquid at highRead MoreThe Effects Of Fracking On The Environment1267 Words   |  6 Pagespeople arguing for the good and bad of it. This paper will examine views from both sides, its effects on the environment, review journal entries, and then show the conclusion reached about this process. The process you might have guessed that I am referring to is that of hydraulic fracturing or otherwise known as fracking by most people. First let me explain what this process involves and how it works. Fracking involves using a 99.5% sand, water, and special chemical additive to help bore through rockRead MoreThe Effects Of Fracking On The Environment Essay1782 Words   |  8 Pagesresearch paper we will cuss and discuss the effects that â€Å"Hydraulic Fracturing† has had on the environment, the economy, and human life in general. This will be essential in rationalizing the overall effects it has had on the planet Earth, and those therein. This paper will also examine how â€Å"Fracking† works, and it will bring to light the good, the bad, and the ugly. The truth about fracking is that it is quickly becoming a nightmare for both the environment and humans alike, because there aren’t enoughRead MoreThe Effects Of Fracking On The Environment And Citizens1715 Words   |  7 PagesAs Americans search for alternatives to purchasing oil and gas from overseas, the increase of fracking to extract comp ressed natural gas has risen dramatically. Remarkably, the public can only access limited research from independent scientists who list both the negative and the positive effects fracking is having on the environment and citizens’ health (Rosenberg, Phartiyal, Goldman, Branscomb, 2014, p. 75). Moreover, the American public and their elected officials are denied the chance to makeRead MoreThe Effects of Fracking on the Environment Essay913 Words   |  4 Pages While it is true â€Å"fracking†, a procedure to obtain natural gas removal from shale formations, it is also true there have been infrastructure security issues associated with this practice. Furthermore, there have been ecological considerations from fracking brought to the forefront by countless environmentalists. Indeed, hydraulic fracturing, as it is referred to, is a process by which shale gas and oil is uprooted from a depth far below the earth’s exterior. The process of extracting shale gasRe ad MoreEffects Of Fracking On The Environment And Human Health1208 Words   |  5 PagesAustralia to supply all of Australia at current levels for more than 6130 years. Fracking extracts hydrocarbons from previously inaccessible sources of oil and gas using hydraulically pressurised liquid to fracture rock and release gas trapped in coal seams (Hester, R Harrison, R). This gas was once unprofitable because it was expensive and difficult to extract. The benefits and also the side effects of fracking need to be considered including whether the economic benefits outweigh the environmentalRead MoreThe Effects Of Fracking On Environmental Impacts On The Environment1094 Words   |  5 PagesSubstantial societal concerns regarding fracking s environmental impacts have been raised. Firstly, the water requirements are significant, with an average of 20 million litres used per well. This is 50-100 times more water than in conventional natural gas extraction. An increase in fracking may exacerbate current global water stress due to pollution, climate change and population growth (Kim 2014). In addition to this, the water mixtures used in fracking contain an average of 200 000 litres ofRead MoreThe Effect Of Fracking On The United States Economy And Leaving A Harmful Footprint Behind The Environment2007 Words   |  9 Pagesthe need without ever reaching satisfaction (Erich Fromm). Introduction Fracking is a complex political topic; nonetheless, fracking is showing a positive impact on the United States economy and leaving a harmful footprint behind the environment. In addition, consumers are experiencing a significant amount of savings due to the overwhelming supplies of oil; thus, the revolution in new technology is triggering an improper fracking system that contributes to airborne pollution and water contamination