Week 7 Final Paper Hydraulic Fracturing

Week 7 Final Paper Hydraulic Fracturing

Abstract

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Hydraulic fracturing is a type of drilling process that has been used commercially forover 65 years. It involves tapping shale and other tight-rock formations by drilling vertically intothe earth and then horizontal, continuing for several thousand feet more. Hence, a single surfacesite can accommodate several wells. This paper looks into the pros and cons of fracking bothfrom an environmental and economic point of view and discusses what environmentalorganizations and land management organizations are doing to regulate it

Introduction

Water is an essential resource for the survival of all living organisms. It has been proven scientifically, that humans can only live up to three days without water. Although over seventy percent of the earth is covered in water, only three percent is drinkable, and of that three percent,only one percent is readily available for consumption (“Fresh Water Crisis – NationalGeographic,” 2017). Many countries around the world are currently suffering from waterscarcity, and parts of the U.S. are water stressed. The poor in developing countries are payingmore for water than those in developed countries, as water has become an example of naturalmonopoly (Fox, 2010).In our quest for ways to meet our power needs, hydraulic fracturing of natural gas, or”fracking,” had been sought after throughout the U.S. In 2010, Josh Fox, narrated Gasland,where he documented his research about fracking after receiving a request in the mail to lease hisland for fracking, to a natural gas company. In his search for the truth about the process, heinterviewed numerous families whose water supplies were contaminated from nearby frackingwells. Shocking as it seemed, he discovered that fracking was occurring all over the nation withlittle knowledge offered to residents, regulation from environmental agencies and government.The Disconnect between Science and the Corporations and PoliticiansWhile science identifies upwards of 600 chemicals have been identified that are releasedthrough the process of fracking that is harmful to human health, such as toluene, benzene,xylene, ethylbenzene, and heavy metals (Fox, 2010). Fracking requires millions of gallons ofwater per well, causing water depletion in the vicinities (Lucas, 2015). This technology isresponsible for an exponential increase in oil and gas production in the U.S. In 2011, the U.S.
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Week 7 Written Assignment – Hydraulic Fracturing4produced over nine trillion cubic feet of natural gas from shale gas wells, a value of about $36billion, due to shale gas alone; making America the world’s largest producer of natural gas(Hassett & Mathur, 2013). As a result, imported gases co,………………..

Week 7 Final Paper Hydraulic Fracturing