BrookeAuten

Instructor:MalcolmCampbell
English1103
10April,2016

ShaletheDrillingStop?:ThreatsthatFrackingHasontheEnvironment

Centuriesago,sunlightwasthesourceofhumanenergy.Sunlightprovidedhumanswith
food,heat,light,andevenclothing.Theamountofsunlightthatfellupontheearthwasthe
maximumamountofenergyhumanshadtosurviveoffof.Astimepassed,theearthspopulation
keptincreasingandthelightthatwasprovidedwasnolongerenoughtosupportallofearths
inhabitants.Eventually,pocketsofenergystoredinresourceslikecoalandoilwerediscovered.
Thisdiscoveryhascreatedtheworldtodayaworlddependentonnonrenewableresources.
Humanlifeissubsidizedbyoil,however,thepopulationiscontinuingtogrowandthesupplyof
oilwilleventuallyrunout.(The11thHour).
Sinceoilisanonrenewableresourcebutisinsuchhighdemandandpracticallycrucialin
todayssociety,anewprocedurehasrisenthatisreferredtoashydraulicfracturing.Hydraulic
fracturing,alsocommonlyreferredtoasfracking,isaprocessthatincludesdrillingdowninto
theearth,breakingrockbedsbyusinghighpressurewatermixtures,andextractingoilfrom
shale.Drillingcompanieshaveclaimedthatfrackingwillallowtherecoveryoftrillionsofcubic
feetofshalegas.Theresultsoffrackinghasalsocreatedlowergasprices,aboostinoil
production,andhasallowedoiltobecomemoreabundant,thereforegivingusplentyofmore

timebeforetheresourcerunsoutandisnolongerexistent.(WhatIsFrackingandWhyisit
Controversial?).Theoilandnaturalgasindustrieshavepositiveimpactstotheeconomy
becausewhentheenergyindustryflourishes,sodoesthecountry'seconomy.Thisindustry
undoubtedlycreatesjobsformanyAmericans.Infact,theoilandgasindustrysupported8.4
millionfullandparttimejobs.Thisincreaseinjobsledtoanincreaselabourincome,whichrose
tobe$597.6billion,andadded$1.2trillionineconomicvalue.(Jobs,Growth,andSecurity).
TheoilandgasboomhasalsobetteredtheUnitedStatesnationalsecurityposition.TheUnited
Stateshasbeenabletoreduceitsdependenceonunstablepartsoftheworld,liketheMiddle
East.AccordingtoRichardD.Blackwell,Theenergyboomwilladdfueltothecountry's
economicrevitalization,andthereductionofitsdependenceonenergy..TheboominU.Soiland
gasproduction..shouldenhanceU.Sgloballeadershipintheyearstocome.(Qtd.inOil&amp
GasBoom2014:Jobs,EconomicGrowthandSecurity).

WhatHarmDoesFrackingCause?
Climatechangeisapopulartopictodiscussincontroversialconversations,especially
today.Manyscientist,environmentalist,andevenNASA,haveconductedstudiesandresearches
thatshowclimatechangetobearealthingthatishappeningtoourworld.Climatechangewill
deeplyaffecttheenvironment,humans,andthewaywelive.Therearehoweversomepeoplewho
stillargueagainsttheproofofscientistclaimingthatclimatechangeisamadeupthing.Withall
ofthedatacollectedfromstudiesthatshowclimatechangetobehappening,itismorerarefor
peopletoarguesayingclimatechangeisnothappening,oraffectinglifearoundus.Climate
pollutionhascreatedaonedegreecelsiusincreaseinglobaltemperatures.Thatmaynotseemlike

much,butitdoesnottakemuchatalltothrowoffthebalanceoftheearthandtheenvironment.
TheInternationalPanelofClimateChange(IPCC)hasclearlywarnedthatanincreaseofof1.5
degreescelsiusinglobaltemperatureswillbedangerousanddamaging.Recentshiftsinclimate
changehavehadworldwideimpactstothenaturalsystem.Impactssuchasdroughts,floods,
warmingoceans,violentstorms,andmeltingoficecapsresultsfromclimatechange.Even
thoughtheprocessofhydraulicfracturingextractsnaturalgas,itisstilljustasharmfultothe
environmentascoalandoilis.Thisisbecausenaturalgasismostlymadeupofmethaneagas,
likecarbondioxide,thatcontributestothegreenhouseeffect.Methane,duetofracking,isleaking
fromplaceslikewellsites,processingplants,compressorstations,andisevenleakingbeneath
citystreets.(With5MoreYearsofBusinessAsUsual.FrackingWillBustTheCarbon
Budget).
Frackingcausesamultitudeofthreatstoourenvironment.Intodaystime,weneedtocut
outasmanyharmfulanddamagingfactorsaswecaninordertoprotectandregressthe
environmentagainstclimatechange.TheU.SGeologicalSurveyreleasedareportconfirming
thatfracking,doesinfact,leadtoearthquakes.Oklahomahasexperienced585earthquakesin
2014thatismoreearthquakesthanthelastthirtyfiveyearscombined.Thereportgoesonto
explainthattheincreaseinearthquakesaretriggeredbytheinjectionofwastewaterdeepinto
disposalwells.Duringthisprocess,methaneandtoxicchemicalsleakintothegroundwaterthat
isusedbynearbycitizensasdrinkingwater.Overonethousandcaseshavebeenreportedof
contaminateddrinkingwaterinlocalareasnearfrackingsites.Othercasesofrespiratory,
sensory,andneurologicaldamagefromdrinkingcontaminateddrinkingwaterhavebeen
reportedaswell.(8DangerousSideEffectsofFrackingthattheIndustryDoesntWantYouto

HearAbout).Thefactthattherearemultiplecasesthatinvolvewatercontaminationdueto
fracking,andhealthrisksduetothiscontamination,makesmedisgustedthatourgovernment
doesnotputhydraulicfracturingtoastop.Notonlyisitcontributingtoclimatechange,whichis
goingtobesomethingmygenerationandgenerationsbelowmewillhavetodealwith,itisalso
puttinghumansatrisk.Mosthydraulicfracturingwellsitesarelocatedinthemostdrieststatesin
Americawherewatersupplyisscarce,likeinTexas,Nevada,California,andotherstateslocated
inthewesternpartofAmerica.Fiftyfivepercentofthelocationswherefrackingtakesplace,in
2011,whereareasconsideredtobeinadrought.Theproblemwiththisisthatfrackingusesand
wastesaninsaneamountoffreshwaterinordertoextractshalegas.Tocompletethefracking
process,millionsofgallonsoffreshwaterisusedjusttofrackasinglewell.(Frackingis
DepletingWaterSupplyinAmericasDriestAreas,ReportShow).Onaverage,9.6million
gallonsofwaterisusedperwell,thuscreatinganeffectonthefarminganddrinkingsourcesin
areasnearthesesites.Onceallofthewaterisused,itgoestobestoredunderground,causingthe
millionsofgallonsofwatertoberemovedfromthewatercycle.Freshwaterisalreadya
resourcethatisnonrenewable,therefore,itshouldnotbewastedatsuchlargeamountsbywhich
itis.StudiesfromtheU.SGeologicalSurveyshowthatfrackingwillincreasethedemandfor
groundwaterbythirtypercent.(WaterUseRisesasFrackingExpands).


WorksCited

Shukman,David.WhatisFrackingandWhyisitControversial?
BBCNews.
BBCNews.16
December,2015.Web.10April2016.

Blackman,David.Oil&amp:GasBoom2014:Jobs,EconomicGrowthandSecurity.
Forbes.
Forbes
Magazine.20February2014.Web.7April2016.

MacMillan,Hugh.With5MoreYearsofBusinessAsUsual,FrackingwillBusttheCarbonBudget.
FoodandWaterWatch.
FoodandWaterWatch.08December2015.Web.10April2016.

Loki,Reynald.8DangerousSideEffectsThattheIndustryDoesntWantYoutoHearAbout.
Alternet
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The11thHour.
Dir.LeilaConnersandNadiaConners.ByLeonardoDiCaprio.Prod.Chuck
Castleberry,BrianGerber,andLeonardoDiCaprio.Perf.LeonardoDiCaprio,StephenHawking,and
JamesWoosey.WarnerBros.,2007.
WarnerBros
.WarnerBrosEntertainmentInc.

Jobs,Growth,andSecurity.EnergyTomorrow.AmericanPetroleumInstitution.July2013.Web.10
April2016.

Goldenberg,Suzanne.FrackingisDepletingWaterSuppliesinAmericasDriestAreas,Report
Shows.
TheGuardian
.GuardianNewsandMedia.05February2014.Web.11April2016.

Magill,Bobby.WaterUseRisesasFrackingExpands).
ScientificAmerican
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2105.Web.11April2016.

Centner,TerenceJ.,andNicholasS.Eberhart.TheUseofBestManagementPracticestoRespondto
ExternalitiesFromDevelopingShaleGasResources.
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Management.
(2015)p.74668.Web.13March,2016.