Fracking: Energy Needs, Impacts, and Concerns - Research Paper Example

Fracking: Energy Needs, Impacts, and Concerns With all forms of mineral and gas extraction, the process itself is less than environmentally friendly. As such, this brief essay will consider the case of natural gas extraction via a process known as “fracking”. In defining, describing, and seeking to understand the ramifications of such a process, the author hopes to inform the reader regarding the overall environmental/health risks that such a process entails and weight these against the unique benefits of domestic economic gain that is a function of increased labor necessitated for extraction as well as the decreased fuel bills experienced by all individuals as a function of having available domestic sources of fuel that can be readily obtained. Furthermore, this brief analysis will consider a specific community where fracking has been a concern as well as to present the way in which pro-fracking representatives engaged with the community and responded to the citizen’s fears (Burnett, 2012). Fracking is a process whereby a fluid is injected below the surface layer of rock and sediment to pressurize underlying regions of rocks to create fissures within these layers so that the trapped reserves of petroleum or natural gas may find their way into pockets and thereby be extracted via conventional means. Due to the fact that drilling a new well in order to tap pockets of resources is inefficient and harmful to the environment, many resource extraction experts have turned to fracking as a quick way to help consolidate a regions gas/petroleum resources and make these amenable to fast and rather painless extraction process. The process itself does however have its unique drawbacks (Fitzgerald, 2013). These unique drawbacks will of course be related in further detail the proceeding sections of this analysis. Fracking is taking place in all areas of the globe. Realizing that areas that had once been determined to have their resources inaccessible or exhausted can now be extracted utilizing this new method, firms are anxious to derive the profits from this process; oftentimes regardless of the environmental costs that are inherent to it. Due to the relatively low population density in and many of the communities/areas in which fracking is taking place, the availability of fracking permits has not been as actively challenged as one might at first assume. For instance, within the past 60 years, a total of 1,700,000 new fracking operations have been instituted throughout North America alone (CBC News, 2012). As such, the growing scope of the issue demands that it receive a critical amount of analysis from both government actors and key affected shareholders. One of the main drawbacks to fracking is of course the environmental effects that fracking entails (Timmons, 2013). Although there is a high level of disagreement on the actual environmental damage that fracking causes, it can be understood that regardless of one’s particular view of the situation fracking has the potential to unleash any one of a host of negative environmental externalities Some of these include: improper disposal of waste water, overall integrity of pipeline system and risk of blowouts due to over pressure, affects of having fluid water pervade multiple layers of subsurface rock and sediment and thereby diffuse through these contaminating hitherto untouched samples with key elements and contaminants from the other subsurface sedimentary layers, and the long-term effects to health and safety of the drinking water supply as a result of the process itself (Sidwell, 2013). Naturally, in order to understand why fracking continues to be used so widely as a means of oil and gas extraction around the world, one must consider the efficiency answer. Due to the fact that fracking allows the responsible entities a way to extract the desired substance in a much more efficient manner, this thereby improves profitability and decreases the overall costs associated with the drilling process (Randolph, 2014). Accordingly, this is then passed along to the end consumer in terms of total economic savings. Furthermore, due to the fact that much of this energy is being made available for sale domestically, this means that the stakeholders within society are able to reap the benefits of this process (n.a., 2013). Obviously, as has been previously stated, this practice exhibits a great many drawbacks in terms of overall environmental damage; however, this is tempered by greatly increased efficiency and lower cost of resources as has been exhibited within this section. In this way, the reader can readily see the tradeoff between ultimate environmental harm and the reduced cost of resources that are made available to the local economy. Perhaps most concerning of all is not the direct environmental impact that fracking may pose for the local residents and animals that must live on the land affected by its implementation. Rather, the way in which pro-fracking consortium have attempted to sway public opinion as well as actively engage in propaganda and asymmetrical psychological operations in order to achieve their goals is the most troubling aspect of all. For instance, Anadarko Petroleum was noted for advocating at one shareholder meeting that participants should know and understand the US Army’s Counterinsurgency Manual due to the fact that those that were against fracking exhibited the same key elements and threats as an insurgency within the military scope exhibits (Howard, 2013). Such charged and offensive language, coupled with the fact that firms such as Anadarko and others have actively sought to employee veteran psychological warfare operatives from the military, only serves to compound the ominous threat that unchecked corporatism poses to the environment and health of the nation. Due to the issues that have been raised within this brief analysis, the reader can quickly infer that the process of fracking likely entails a great degree of long-lasting health and environmental harm to the area and residents around which it takes place. Furthermore, this fear of harm is further compounded by the way in which the fracking industry has chosen a track that comes into direct conflict with those that seek to better understand and request information regarding the practice so that they may better understand the long-lasting health and environmental effects that such a practice entails. Rather than being forthright and open as well as engaging, the fracking representatives have instead been evasive and sought to suppress dissent in whatever form it might arise. As such, it is the recommendation of this author that fracking should be suspended indefinitely pending a thorough and conclusive study by a multi-disciplinary group whose aim is to both maximize resource extraction while at the same time preserving the environment and keeping a keen eye for the health and safety of local residents. Though bodies exist to affect this and many previous studies have been affected, the nature of the full extent to which fracking is currently being employed merits further analysis. As such, it is the recommendation of this author that fracking have an indefinite moratorium until these question can be more definitively answered. References Burnett, A. (2012, February 28). What Is Hydraulic Fracturing? - ProPublica. Retrieved February 15, 2014, from http://www.propublica.org/special/hydraulic-fracturing-national Fitzgerald, R. (2013, August 12). Dangers of Fracking. Retrieved February 15, 2014, from http://www.dangersoffracking.com/ Howard, J. (2013, November 11). Fracking Pros And Cons: Weighing In On Hydraulic Fracturing. Retrieved February 15, 2014, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/10/fracking-pros-cons_n_1084147.html n.a. (2012). Residents concerned about fracking rally in Cochrane - Calgary - CBC News. CBC.ca - Canadian News Sports Entertainment Kids Docs Radio TV. Retrieved November 13, 2012, from http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/story/2012/09/15/calgary-fracking-rally.html’ Randolph, M. (2014, January 5). Is Fracking Safe? The Top 10 Myths About Natural Gas Drilling - Popular Mechanics. Retrieved February 15, 2014, from http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/energy/coal-oil-gas/top-10-myths-about-natural-gas-drilling-6386593#slide-1 Sidwell, N. (2013, November 22). Fracking — the pros and cons | Elsevier Connect. Retrieved February 15, 2014, from http://www.elsevier.com/connect/fracking-the-pros-and-cons Timmons, J. (2013, July 17). Why Ban Fracking? | Food & Water Watch. Retrieved February 15, 2014, from https://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/water/fracking/ Read More