When first reading the blog topic for this week, I had no idea what hydraulic fracturing was, I had never heard of such a term and most certainly had never heard of hydro fracking. But after researching this issue I immediately understood why this is such an important issue not only in the science community but in society because this is something that is affecting all of us. Hydro fracking is blasting high powered water to get at natural gas and other resources within the earth. This process offers the threat of contamination and other serious drawbacks but it also offers us a less damaging fossil fuel, in the form of natural gas.
According the thinkbeforeyoufrack.org; “Hydrofracking is a…economical and technological method, which enables natural gas producers to recover natural gas from dense shale formations. During the drilling process, the drill will bore deep down into the earth and then horizontally for approximately 8,ooo feet in each direction.” By doing this we would not only use a less damaging fossil fuel but we would also be obtaining it domestically instead of internationally which would decrease our dependence on international oil.
But significantly more water and chemical additives are used to fracture the rock and release the gases as compared to other methods and these are the points of concern as it can lead to more environmental and long term issues. Although we need less damaging fossil fuel, which will decrease greenhouse gases and be cleaner to burn than coal or oil, is it worth the risk?
One of the biggest issues with hydro fracking is the issue of contamination. As previously mentioned, a drill is going deep down into the earth to recover these gases but by doing that there is a chance that it might hit a water source, and with all the chemical additives, contaminate our water source. According to peacecouncil.net “some of the chemical additives frequently used include: diesel fuel, biocides, benzene (an additive to gasoline and industrial solvent), and hydrochloric acid.” This becomes a terrifying issue when considering that. Although our world will not survive if we don’t change our handling or use of fossil fuel, we will not survive long enough to see that if all of our drinking water becomes contaminated. According the NCBI, “Although the EPA issued a 2004 report concluding there is very little risk that fracking can contaminate drinking water, there are some documented contamination incidents. For example, in August 2006, drilling fluids and methane were detected emerging from a hillside in Clark County, Wyoming, from a gas well surrounded by a rural housing development. Ultimately 8 million cubic feet of methane were released.”
The idea of hydro-fracking seems good, it is a process we have figured out how to properly use to find less damaging fossil fuels, the process of which and the benefits of I have illustrated. But I have also shared the potential negatives that could result from this which makes us all wonder…is it worth it?
Sources:
http://www.thinkbeforeyoufrack.org/about-hydrofracking/
http://www.peacecouncil.net/NOON/hydrofrac/HdryoFrac2.htm
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1817691/
I was really impressed with this article. The balance between information about the practice of hydro-fracking and risk factors associated with it was very well done. Reading about the risks posed to drinking water was shocking but again, very informative. Excellent post!
Great blog post. You’re information is clear and balanced. I had also never heard of hydrofracking, so I could relate to you on that point. After reading about it and the potential harm it could cause, I don’t think it’s the best option. You’re blog does a great job of explaining what chemicals could leak in to the drinking water and the risks. It asks the right questions.
Well written, i liked how you made all the complex information on Hydro-Fracking a lot easier to understand.
its interesting to me, how this new concept of hydraulic-fracking can be good ad bad to the environment and you did a great job at explaining that.
I thought it was an interesting approach to the topic to focus on not only what it is but the environmental impact that hydraulic fracturing has on our country. This is a very well written and concise article.
As everyone before me has commented, you have managed to write a very well balanced and neutral blog. It is informal, fresh and from the heart while maintaining certain decorum as is appropriate for a student blog such as ours. To answer the question you pose in the end I ask you this; what happens when all the oil wells in the Gulf and Latin America dry up and we have not yet had enough technological advancement to be able to rely on sustainable energy?