Fracking And The Environmental Concerns - 3189 Words

Adrian Sanchez Dr. Neil Anderson GE 400 Special Problems 29JUL14 Fracking and the Environmental Concerns Global energy needs are at an all time high and do not appear to be tapering off in the near future. Even with all the advancements of technology and the development of alternate renewable resources, fossil fuels continue to be the leading source to facilitate these energy needs. The magnitude and effort needed to shift the world to alternative sources of energy is monumental and each has huge barriers when compared to fossil fuels (Troy 34). Traditional means of extracting oil, coal, and natural gas have historically faced scrutiny from environmentalists and lawmakers due to the various potential hazards these resources present. In truth their efforts have not been in vain; in many of the first world nations the extraction of these resources has been regulated and therefore tailored to pose as little risk to the environment as possible. Hydraulic fracturing or fracking as it is commonly called is not a new method of resource extraction but by no means would it be considered tradit ional. It is commonly understood that there are no completely perfect methods of extracting fossil fuels no matter their chemical or physical makeup and the same is true of fracking. There are challenges associated with the human error factor just as there are in any other types of project development; these generally surround the construction and best business practices surrounding theShow MoreRelatedFracking Creates Real Environmental Concerns1621 Words   |  7 PagesFourthly, fracking creates real environmental concerns (Lieberman, 2016). Fracking is a process that unearths large amounts of oil and natural gas. â€Å"During fracking, a mixture of water, sand, and chemicals are injected into a well at high pressures, fracturing rock far beneath the surface and releasing the gas trapped inside. The gas then flows up toward the surface and out of the head of a well.† One of the causes of concern are due to the huge amounts of water used in the process, which must usuallyRea d 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 MoreCritical Analysis of Fracking1054 Words   |  5 Pagesthrough fracking, be the solution to the United States’ energy problem? Purpose The purpose of this analysis is to examine the process of extracting natural gas in shale deposits—Horizontal High Volume Slickwater Hydraulic Fracturing, or â€Å"Fracking†Ã¢â‚¬â€and determine the long-term viability of this process. Information †¢ The Marcellus Formation is a region of marine sedimentary rock that stretches through Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland, New Jersey, and into parts of Canada. †¢ Fracking is aRead MoreThe Economic Report On Fracking, Is It Worth It?1465 Words   |  6 PagesWeekly Economic Report Fracking, is it Worth it? Ron Withall Business 630, Dr. Lynn Reaser SUBJECT Our dependence on foreign oil and natural gas has created a vulnerability affecting our national security and economic stability. Up until this past decade there was an appreciable decline in our oil and natural gas production in the US and we were tied to world market price fluctuations. Oil prices and natural gas prices rose and fell based on OPEC’s and other large oil and natural gas producers’Read MoreFracking : A Controversial Controversy1486 Words   |  6 PagesFracking is a highly controversial practice that utilizes the injection of water, chemicals and abrasives to extract relatively inaccessible pockets of natural resources. Although fracking has the potential to benefit the domestic economy, the practice of hydraulic fracturing, if left unregulated and mismanaged poses significant risks to the environment, the ecosystem and safety. Fracking has become a highly controversial and publicized topic in recent years due to rising concerns into the potentialRead MoreThe Effect Of Hydraulic Fracking On The Oil And Gas Industry1044 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction Hydraulic Fracking is an oil and gas extraction process used in the past 60 years. The process consists of drilling the underground until reach a shale layer, and them a high-pressure fracking fluid is injecting in this hole to fracture the rock underground, which will provide oil and gas to be extracted. As a huge extraction process it requires large quantities of water, sand and chemicals, which are to produce the fracking fluid, and in most of the cases all this water and chemicalsRead MoreMajor Concerns for Canadas Northwestern Territories1251 Words   |  5 Pagessuccessful then the issue will no longer be a concern and is a win-win solution for everyone involved. The next issue that causes concern in the Northwest Territories is fracking. Fracking is outing holes in rock, forcing water at a high pressure down in order to find a resource such as gas or oil. Fracking can be very dangerous due to the lack of knowledge or one hundred percent accuracy involved. Residents of the Northwest Territories have created an anti-fracking petition â€Å"in response to the approvalRead MoreThe Effects Of Fracking On The Environment1267 Words   |  6 Pagesmight 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 rock to release the natural gas so it can be harvested (Loki (2015)). It is this process that has caused environmental concerns. While there are some pros and cons with this process we need to look both of them. Also, multipleRead MoreIs Fracking Safer : Wastewater Injections Cause Human Made Earthquakes, But The Risk Can Be Reduced1142 Words   |  5 PagesAnnotated Bibliography Arizona State University. (2016, September 22). Research finds way to make fracking safer: Wastewater injections cause human-made earthquakes, but the risk can be reduced. ScienceDaily. Retrieved February 24, 2017 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/09/160922150659.htm The Arizona State University effectively relays the information from a research done to evaluate the use of fracking techniques in relation to the Texas earthquakes experienced in May of 2012. The research doneRead MoreIs Fracking Our Energy Future?838 Words   |  3 Pages Four Colorado Front Range cities, Boulder, Longmont, Loveland, and Fort Collins voted to place restrictions on hydraulic fracturing, or fracking as it is sometimes referred to, in the November 2013 elections. Greeley, a neighboring community, has made a statement in the opposite direction. According to journalist Natalya Savka, â€Å"There is no talk of a fracking ban in this city of 427 wells, a number that is predicted to quadruple within the next few years† (45). Hydraulic fracturing is the future