Understanding Hydraulic Fracturing

     Hydro-fracking, the process of mining or extracting natural gases from rock formations, is a popular topic among the scientific and environmental world. This process has been around since the 1940s but has recently received large amounts of attention due to the major environmentally devastating side effects that this process creates. The entire process occurs underground as powerful water is used to get gas collections out of rocks. These sedimentary gas composites are formally know as shale gas. In 2009, fourteen percent of the natural gas production came from shale collection (Palliser 20).

     While the fracking process has helped to contribute to natural gas collection, the costs and the benefits create turmoil among the public. Natural gas is a prized resource due to a significant decrease is carbon dioxide levels during the combustion process. Also the fracking process creates more jobs for the working class, helping to stimulate the economy. Even though natural gas has a cleaner combustion process, the process of actually obtaining the natural gas is far from clean and earth-friendly. Hydrofracking requires water to be used to get the gas from the sediment but the ground water is the main source of drinking water for humans and animals. Being that the fracking process occurs under water, the water used in the process sometimes gets mixed into the ground water supply and then the water supply becomes contaminated. Recently in a small town in Wyoming, the drinking water was tested and high levels of methane gas were found. Not only does this pose a threat to the lives of all organisms that drink it but the gas fumes are highly flammable. Along with the health risks, comes environmental risk. The high-powered water breaks up rock formations under the Earth’s surface therefore creating a vulnerable area in Earth’s tectonic plates. A rise in Earthquakes has occurred in areas where fracking occurs.

      Even with all of the risk factors of hydrofracking, the government is still condoning the process to continue. Loopholes have been found and pursued in governmental regulations including the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Clean Water Act and the Clean Air Act. This environmental issue creates a serious moral dilemma forcing politicians to ultimately pick the lesser of two evils, pollution caused by fossil fuels, not purely natural gases, or the safety and health of humans and animals due to water contamination and environmental disruptions.

Citation:

Palliser, Janna. "Fracking Fury." Science Scope 35.7 (2012): 20. Science Reference Center. Web. 30 Sept. 2012.