2017

Fracking: The New H-Bomb

Anna Huynh
San Diego Unified School District
1/1/2017
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A
s a citizen of the world
What is Fracking?
have you ever thought Do you know exactly what fracking

about fracking and its is? Well fracking is the process in which

consequences? The thought of why there water, sand and chemicals are injected

are many concerned? Well listen to this underground using high-pressure to release

statistic For the past decade, fracking has petroleum as well as natural gas by drilling

been a horizontally into the

nightmare for surface layer,

our drinking creating a new

water, our open narrow passage

spaces, and our allowing the gas to

climate. At least FIGURE 1 FRACKING (RAW STORY, 2015). resurface, then using

239 billion gallons of water an average of wasted water to inject back into the soil.

three million gallons per well has been Throughout the years, many people have

used for fracking. In 2014 alone, fracking had different perspective as to where

created 15 billion gallons of wastewater. fracking is leading in society today. There

This water generally cannot be reused, and are many controversies concerning health

is often toxic. Fracking operators inject the dilemmas such as more occurrences of

water underground, where it can leach into asthma at all ages, the effects on the

drinking water sources. The chemicals can environment and water contamination.

include formaldehyde, benzene, and

hydrochloric acid, (Richardson, 2016).

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Where Fracking Began Effects of Fracking

Lets go back to the beginning to As the world become more developed

where modern fracking launched. The use of electronically and intellectually there has

modern day hydraulic fracturing started been addition cases in which citizens

roughly in the 1940s. During this time, a become further aware of the modifications

man who goes by the name Floyd Farris done to earth. Some often are concerned

from Stanolind Oil and Gas started to study about the health and well-being of those

more in depth about the relationship held who surround active fracking wells,

between oil and gas radioactive fluid leaks

production as well that may contaminate

as the amount of drinking waters in

pressure used on addition to the future of

each active well, planet earth. Research

many people has shown these incidents

conducted various to be quite accurate; in

FIGURE 2 FRACKING IS AFFECTING LIVES OF ALL AGES
experiments but all (STATE IMPACT, 2016).
states where fracking is

failed. Even so, the act of modern fracturing more present, there has been more

hasnt officially started until the 1990s by occurrences of earthquakes that ties to man-

George P. Mitchell, he developed a brand made actions, water can turn undrinkable,

new technique through combining both the use of water in fracking can lead to

hydraulic fracturing with horizontal drilling. droughts in many areas also have an effect

This method has been used for the purpose on residents. To support this, newspaper

of extracting natural gas since. USA Today states According to New

Yorks Department of Environmental

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Conservation, no amount of regulation can Residents who live in approximate to active

safely guard against the dangers fracking fracking sites have a leverage with the

poses to our land, water, air, natural increase of property values. One article

states, Median of housing prices increasing

by 6 percent, in North Dakotas Bakken

Shale there lies the greatest benefit allowing

houses to raise 23 percent. In addition to

that, salaries can increase up to 8 percent

FIGURE 3 THE DIFFERENT SIDES FRACKING HOLD thus granting the increase concerning quality
(WAMC, 2014).
of life in each household by $1,000 to
resources and public health, (Sanders,
$1,600 per year, (OConnell, 2017).
2016). If there is no way to make fracking

safer, why do it?

Prospectives of Fracking
There are different sides as to what

people think of fracking, one where it

focuses on the economic aspect while the

other one examines the potential threats

posed. Economically, fracking will

provide great potential. It will contribute

TABLE 1 THE BENEFITS THAT FRACKING PROVIDES
(BROOKING INSTITUTION, 2015)
to giving residents near advantages, less

reliance on coal which then ties into Fracking also admits relying more on natural

allowing expansion in the industry. gas and less on coal to generate electricity.
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Using natural gas is not only healthier due to actually have shale deposits, with 1.7

less harmful particles produced in the air, million jobs already created and a total of

but it has also saved thousands of lives 3.5 million projected by 2035, (Lyndersen,

throughout the years compared to when coal 2014). Creating jobs will help those who has

was used more frequently. Yale Climate let to find a job allowing money to flow in

Connections reported Coal made up about their lives, this not only improves the living

50 percent of U.S. electricity generation in standard of some families but also the

2008, 37 percent by 2012; meanwhile, economy. The U.S will save money because

natural gas went from about 20 percent to the government will not need gas to be

about 30 percent during that same period. In exported as well as the prices of gas will be

particular, nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide expected to decrease granting citizens ways

emissions have been reduced dramatically, to save money in their pockets.

(Wihbey, 2015). In addition to that,

expanding the industry of fracking, will not

only improve the lives of Americans but

also promote job opportunities, Midwest

Energy Source mentions A study

commissioned by the U.S. Chamber of

Commerces 21st Century Energy Institute FIGURE 4 FRACKING'S IMPACT ON LIVES OF

RESIDENTS (NEW YORK TIMES, 2013).
says the extraction of unconventional
On the other hand, those who are
shale oil and gas through horizontal
against it tends to lean toward the argument
hydraulic fracturing or fracking has
of health and environmental issues.
meant a job boom even in states that dont
Research has discovered the long-term
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worries that related back to fracking such as asthma to narrows the airway making it

increase in asthma to difficult to take in

nausea to organ oxygen thus

failure in surrounding worsening asthma, the

areas which fracking chemicals present also

is present, climate is known for lung

change and man cancer as well as birth

created earthquakes, defects. Study also

underground water indicates that fracking

gets poisoned along relates back to the

with safety slow increase of

FIGURE 5 FRACKING STATISTICS (GREEN TUMBLE,
precautions. As reported 2015). temperature on

by Chicago Sun-Times, The study found earth. According to Scientific American,

that asthma treatments were as much as four Molecule for molecule, methane traps 20 to

times more common in 25 times more

patients living closer to areas heat in the

with more or bigger active atmosphere

wells than those living far than carbon

away due to the air pollution dioxide does.

and stress caused by the noise The effect

of fracking, (Tanner, 2016). dissipates

The polluted air causes both faster, however:

adults and children with FIGURE 6 THE THINGS YOU ARE CONSUMING (THE
airborne
TREE, 2013)
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methane remains in the atmosphere for The dramatic increase in fracking for oil

about 12 years before being scrubbed out by and gas in America since 2006 has caused

ongoing chemical reactions, whereas CO2 some regions to experience frequent

earthquakes, regions that have not had many

in the past. In fact, some areas in north-

central Oklahoma and southern Kansas now

have hazards from fracking-related induced

earthquakes that are similar to parts of

California where earthquakes are caused by

FIGURE 7 PROTESTERS AGAINST FRACKING (CNN,
2011) natural tectonic forces like plate collisions

lasts 30 to 95 years. Nevertheless, recent and volcanism, (Conca, 2016). The

data from the two Cornell scientists and evidence here shows that fracking is capable

others indicate that within the next 20 years, of causing earthquakes that are usually

methane will contribute 44 percent of the resulted from natural plates colliding. In

greenhouse gas load produced by the U.S. addition to all that, fracking has the potential

Of that portion, 17 percent will come from to poison drinking waters. New York Times

all natural gas operations,

More than 100 cases of pollution
(Fischetti, 2012). Evidence
were confirmed over the past years
displays that fracking increases

the rate of earthquakes in areas Begos

currently used and due to

injecting fracking wastewater

announced, Mr. Burke said that the new
back into the ground. Forbes article claims
report found evidence that fracking has
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contributed to drinking water contamination Affected private water wells, compared with

in all stages of the process: acquiring water 499 in 2012. The Pennsylvania complaints

to be used for fracking, mixing the water can include allegations of short-term

with chemical additives to make fracking diminished water flow, as well as pollution

fluids, from

stray
Methane is 85 to 105 times
more powerful than carbon gas or
dioxide at disrupting the
climate over a 20-year other
period

Greenpeace

injecting the FIGURE 8 METHANE EMISSION (POLICY NOTE, 2016) substances. More than

chemical fluids underground, collecting the 100 cases of pollution were confirmed over

wastewater that flows out of fracking wells the past five years, (Begos, 2014). If the

after injections, and storing the used rates of water contamination was so high

wastewater, (Davenport, 2016). Once the already imagine now in 2016, think of how

water has been contaminated it is many cases that are yet to be discovered.

irreversible, the water become toxic. In

some places such as Pennsylvania, USA

Today has reported The AP found that

Pennsylvania received

398 complaints in 2013 alleging that oil

or natural gas drilling polluted or FIGURE 9 CONTAMINATED WATER (UNEARTH, 2011)

otherwise
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Protect the Future & Your that may live on the icebergs but also disturb

Children aquatic life, raising sea levels can slowly

Fracking should be limited not only
submerge land who lives next to the water.
in the United States but also around the
Fracking doesnt just increase the climate, it
world. The use of fracking has affected the
also escalates the occurrence of earthquakes.
environment that both humans, animals and
Limiting fracking can only help the earth on
agriculture grow in
the long run, the
due to the increase
rate of climate
in climate change.
change can slowly
Organization
decrease and the
Greenpeace states,
ecosystem will not
Methane gas
FIGURE 10 POLAR BEAR AFFECTED BY MELTING ICEBERGS be altered due to
(ENDANGERED POLAR BEAR, 2013)
the main
unnatural causes.
component of natural gas is a less
Do you really want to bring your child into
common but more potent greenhouse gas
this world?
than carbon dioxide. In fact, its 85 to 105

times more powerful than carbon dioxide at

disrupting the climate over a 20-year

period. Greenpeace clearly explains to that

fracking leads the earth in a negative

direction. As time passes when the climate

slowly increases, icebergs will as well start

to lose its size; slowly dripping into the

ocean. This does not only influence animals

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Davenport, C. (2016, 13 Dec.) Reversing

References
Begos, K. (2014, 5 Jan.) 4 states confirm
water pollution from drilling. USA
TODAY, Retrieved from
http://www.usatoday.com/story/mon
ey/business/2014/01/05/some-states-
confirm-water-pollution-from-
drilling/4328859/
GreenPeace. Fracking. GreenPeace
Conca, J. (2017, 1 Mar.) Thanks To
Fracking, Earthquake Hazards In
Parts Of Oklahoma Now
Comparable To California. Forbes,
Lyndersen, K. (2015, 22 Apr.) U.S.
Retrieved from
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesc
onca/2016/09/07/the-connection-
between-earthquakes-and-
fracking/#3d56daf26d68
Course, E.P.A. Says Fracking Can
Contaminate Drinking Water. New
York Times, Retrieved from
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/1
3/us/reversing-course-epa-says-
fracking-can-contaminate-drinking-
water.html?_r=0
Organization, Retrieved from
http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/globa
l-warming/issues/fracking/
Chamber's fracking job boom:
Behind the numbers. Institute
for 21st Century Energy, Retrieved
from http://www.energyxxi.org/us-
chamber%E2%80%99s-fracking-

job-boom-behind-numbers
10 | P a g e

O'Connell, J. (2017, 15 Jan). Fracking has Richardson, (2016, 14 Apr). Frackings total

net financial benefit despite environmental impact is staggering,

drawbacks, study finds.. Chicago report finds. Think Progress,

Tribune, Retrieved from Retrieved from

"http://sks.sirs.com" https://thinkprogress.org/frackings-

total-environmental-impact-is-

Ohio Environmental Council. Fracking staggering-report-finds-

impacts: climate change. Ohio 7cec0834c0e5

Environmental Council, Retrieved

Sanders, B. (2016, 19 Apr). Fracking,
from
presents profound danger. USA
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesc
TODAY, Retrieved from
onca/2016/09/07/the-connection-
http://sks.sirs.com
between-earthquakes-and-

fracking/#3d56daf26d68 Tanner, L. (2016, 18 Jul). Fracking may

worsen asthma for nearby residents,

Wihbey, J. (2016, 12 Apr.) Pros and cons of study says. Chicago Sun-Times

fracking: 5 key issues. Yale Climate Retrieved from http://sks.sirs.com

Connections, Retrieved from

http://www.yaleclimateconnections.o

rg/2015/05/pros-and-cons-of-

fracking-5-key-issues/