Hydraulic fracturing first started in the 1947 but the first frac job with today’s technique was done in the 1990’s in Barnett Shale in Texas. Since then hydraulic fracturing has acquired new nick name hydrofracking. Many energy companies attempt this process in order to release petroleum, natural gas, coal seam gas or other substances. The process requires the propagation of fractures in a rock layer caused by the presence of a pressurized fluid.The energy from the injection of highly pressurized fluids creates many channels in the rock which increase the extraction rates and ultimately recovery of the fossil fuels.
This method of obtaining energy might seem convincing until we have to realize how much we really get out of it. It has been known to have many environmental problems. It damages forestland, destroys well sites along with groundwater and surface water contamination. It also disturbs many access roads to the well sites. This process involves the use of 6-8 million gallons of freshwater per fracking. Along with this abundant amount of water, their is a mixture of chemicals such as diesel, biocides and benzene. The companies never state how much of each chemical they are using, they just say its in “small amounts.” Whats small for me and whats small for you is not the same measurement. Hydrofracking, just is not the answer to the ultimate problem we are trying to solve. In New York many anti-activists protested to have this process stopped because it was seen as a threat to their water supplies. This is not how I want to help my planet and neither should you.
Sources:
https://nccnews.expressions.syr.edu/?p=32868
