An Introduction to Corporate Environmental Management - Assignment Example

FRACKING Introduction Hydraulic fraction also known as fracking refers to a mechanism of extracting oil among other natural resources that uses pressurized liquid (Hillstrom 41). The alternative mining process has various environmental and financial implications often portraying sustainability of both the practice and the economy. In management, sustainability refers to the ability of a practice to last long while yielding profitability. Mining is a multifaceted process that affects various sectors of the economy including the environment. Sustainable mining process must therefore uphold such sectors of the economy and facilitate the management of both the environment and the naturally existing resources. Fracking possess various significant and equally distinctive feature that portrays the mechanism endeavor towards sustainability as discussed below. Stance 1 Sustainability of the environment refers to the ability of human activities to safeguard the existence of other organisms. Additionally, business practices must also foster the longevity of both the business and the practice. The cost implications of fracking portray it as an economical mining process that fosters profitability of companies. Fracking for example uses readily available resources key among which is water and sand to operate. The process mixes sand and water before pumping them at high pressure into the wellbores thereby creating long narrow fractures through which the natural resources such as natural gases and oil flow to the surface, the pressurized solution denser than the crude oil and therefore settles to the bed of the oil wells thus forcing the oil out (Brasch 21). The mining process is preferred in rocky regions. The pressure mechanism propels the solution at higher capable of either perforating or disintegrating the rocks thereby creating the small paths for the flow of the crude oil from the wells. This makes the processes useful in nearly every well including those that have remained operational for some time. As mining into such well continue, the level of the oil in the wells deplete. In order to confirm the depletion of the reserves, fracking is necessary in breaking the earth crust in an investigative process as the miners seek to test the depth of the wells (Uberoi 54). In most cases, the perforation of the earth’s crust results in the discovery of more oil thereby sustaining the longevity of the business. The mining process has presented other viable gas extraction process that seeks to safeguard the safety and longevity of the naturally existing resources. Unlike the conventional mining process including drilling, multi staged drilling presents the opportunity to extract the highly valuable resources from the earth’s surface without causing major disruptions to the earth surface. A type of fracking known as multi stage fracturing facilitate the development of shale gas among other light tight oil production in such great economies as the united states. This way, the process has therefore proven an economic viability. Stance 2 Among the sustainability interfaces include ecological practices. This includes environmental protection and environmental resource management. Sustainability therefore compels the consideration of both social and environmental of an economic activity. Oil prospecting is a labor-intensive activity that has various implications on both the society and the environment (Clayton and Nicholas 31). Fracking as a mining method presents various economic advantages that makes the process preferred by many operators in the industry. The process requires less labor than other conventional mining methods besides its other advantages that contribute to the efficiency of the method. However, opponents of the method have sighted various negative environmental implications that the mining process has thereby casting doubt on the use of the method in mining. As discussed earlier, a sustainable process must have positive implications on both the society and the environment. Mining among other extraction processes have huge effects on the environment owing to the fact that they lie deep in the crust of the earth. Accessing such resources thereby requires the destabilization of the earth surface and the living organisms found in such ecosystems. This implies that the process presents eminent disturbance to the peace and stability of the ecosystem thereby validating the claim that the processes must safeguard the ecosystem. The social factors of a mining process include the need by the business organization to maximize on profitability and prolonged operations. The pressure from investors often compel companies to employ unethical business practices thereby causing disruptions to the ecosystem in order to maximize profitability. Response to stance 1 and 2 Fracking is an equally contentious mining process that presents various environmental threats but promises an efficient and less labor-intensive mining process that safeguards the profitability of the companies operating in such fields. Fracking uses two major components alongside other chemicals that aid in the mixing of sand and water. The hydraulic pumping of the mixture uses power generated by motor engines thereby implying that the process is not only less labor intensive but also equally easier (Pugh 61). The process therefore promises to safeguard the profitability of the companies. Additionally, the mining process provides a solution of investigating the level of the wells. The process is an efficient process of mining past the earth’s crust a feature that makes it applicable in sustaining the longevity of the business. This way, the mining companies make more profits owing to its minimal labor requirement and the longevity of the business. Among the possible disadvantages of the mining process, include its potential of contaminating water sources. Ground water lies above the oil wells in most cases, pumping a mixture of sand and water among other chemicals results in the contamination of such naturally existing resources. The process results in the slow poisoning of all the organisms including humans who use such resources. The contamination arises as the mixture passes past the water reserves. The contamination of the underground water causes myriad side effects on both the human and other animal populations surviving on such naturally occurring water. Stance 3 Besides the risk of contamination, the process presents a potential of depleting fresh water. The process deposits the mixture in the earth crust and the water sources thereby causing an artificial displacement of the water from such reserves. The displacement of the water coupled with the contamination of other sources threatens to deplete fresh water. The mining process is equally noisy and therefore causes noise pollution. The pumping process requires the use of heavy machinery that run on diesel thereby producing both noise and air pollution. The combustion of diesel is slow and requires a lot of air a feature that most of such machines do not meet thereby resulting in the deposit of large quantities of carbon monoxide in the air (Graves 121). The process also results in oil spillage. This causes pollution of the earth surface and risks the lives of all the organisms living in the ecosystems. The process is precarious and may often results in the leakage of gases and hydraulic chemicals used in the process. Coupled with the potential of oil spillage in the surface, the mining process presents great threat to the environment. Oil spillage has often proven a hectic mining mishap that presents massive problems that are equally difficult to contain. The British Petroleum oil spillage in 2012 in the American gulf was a presentation of the cost and environmental implications of oil spillage. The effect is even direr should such spillage occur on the earth surface, which is more difficult to clean up than water bodies. Additionally, should such spillage occur in water bodies, as was the case with the British Petroleum the process results in water contamination thereby killing millions of organisms habiting in such places. Response to stance 3 Despite the various disadvantage of the mining process, the proponents of the process claim the process is cost effective but just as any other technology presents the challenges. When conducted in restricted manner under the close supervision of experts, the process is more efficient and does not result in the ecological disadvantages sited above. Appropriate management of the mining process would ensure the evaluation of the process and appropriate precautionary practice thereby containing any possible environmental threat that may result from such a process. Furthermore, fracking in this context represent other alternative mining processes that as the research portrays exhibits the potential to replace the contemporary mining process. as discussed earlier, the process is less labor intensive. Coupled with the fact that the oil mining areas are not habitable, the environmental implications of the process such as the loud noise do not affect large human populations. Mining is an expensive process that requires large investments. Such investments therefore anticipate prolonged profitability. Additionally, oil is a major resource in an economy that presents the potential of revolutionizing the economy of either a country or a region. The mining process therefore requires a higher rate of efficiency to ensure the mining of all the possible deposits in a particular well. Fracking on the other hand is an efficient process that promises the longevity and the efficiency of the mining process. The potential of the risks can only materialize in case of an accident or an operational malfunction that in the operators safeguard in most cases. This implies that the mining process presents a solution to mitigating on the previously expensive, labor intensive and equally risky oil extraction process. Conclusion In retrospect, economic viability requires appropriate consideration just as the environmental consequences of a production process. However, every process presents a possible threat to the stability and viability of the environment. Fracking as a mining technology presents the potential to overcome the past economic implications of mining natural gases and oil. The other methods had proven expensive and could not sustain the longevity of the resources owing to their inability to extract the resources conclusively. Fracking on the other hand is an economic viability that presents solutions to previously existing mining challenges. Fracking as an alternative mining process overcomes such challenges and with the effective management does not cause any environmental degradation process (Thomas 87). This way, the process presents the potential to sustain both the business and the environmental standards required in the practice. Works cited Brasch, Walter M. Fracking Pennsylvania: Flirting with Disaster. Carmichael, Calif: Greeley & Stone, 2013. Print. Clayton, Anthony M. H, and Nicholas J. Radcliffe. Sustainability: A Systems Approach. London: Earthscan, 1997. Print. Graves, John H. Fracking: America's Alternative Energy Revolution. , 2012. Print. Hillstrom, Kevin. Fracking. , 2013. Print. Pugh, Cedric D. J. Sustainability, the Environment and Urbanization. London: Earthscan, 1996. Print. Schaltegger, Stefan, Roger Burritt, and Holger Petersen. An Introduction to Corporate Environmental Management: Striving for Sustainability. Sheffield: Greenleaf Publ, 2003. Print. Thomas, Ian G. Environmental Management: Processes and Practices for Australia. , 2005. Print. Uberoi, N K. Environmental Management. New Delhi: Excel Books, 2003. Print. Read More