The Negative Effects of Fracking - Essay Sample

Introduction

The exploration of natural gas and oil has intensified in the US due to technological advancement in extraction, processing, transport, and delivery. Notably, hydraulic fracturing, also referred to as fracking, has been a popular method for natural gas and oil extraction. This process combines chemical substances with sand and large volumes of water to fracture rock materials containing gas and oil (Goldenberg). It is essential to explain that in the process, natural gas and oil ooze out to the surface. Markedly, in hydraulic fracturing, water is pumped in oil wells at high pressure to facilitate rock fracturing. However, despite the general use of the process by most industries in the US, there have been controversies regarding its safety to the environment. Typically, hydraulic fracturing should be banned since it degrades air, soil, and water in fracked regions.

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The fracking process uses methane, a very poisonous gas. It is worthy to understand that despite measures by oil and gas companies to prevent methane from escaping into the atmosphere, the gas still finds its way into the air. Imperatively, no system is perfect and therefore, the fracking process is no exception. Methane gas that escapes into the atmosphere traps more heat than carbon dioxide in the atmosphere (Nisbet, Dlugokencky, & Bousquet 493). Therefore, it contributes to global warming, which is detrimental to both fauna and flora. Moreover, the ancillary fracking components increase air pollution in areas where hydraulic fracturing takes place and in nearby areas. As people inhale polluted air, they develop respiratory infections and complications. Consequently, the affected people incur expenses in treating these complications. Furthermore, these respiratory infections may make them terminally ill, which reduces their productivity as well as lifespan.

It is paramount to mention that the hydraulic fracturing process uses large gallons of water which directly results in a reduction of the amount of clean and safe water available for human use. Gallegos et al. explain that when there is no water in the fracking site to extract natural gas as well as oil, these companies transport water from other areas (5840). The ramification for this is that fracking firms draw large volumes of water from rivers and lakes, which ultimately affects the aquatic life. Gallons of water used in the natural gas extraction process are normally not fit for human consumption. Even if the water is treated, it still contains traces of dangerous fracking gases. Thus, the water cannot be used for any other purpose apart from the hydraulic fracturing process. On another note, some parts of the US experience droughts that threaten plant and human survival. Rather than supplying these areas with adequate water to help residents meet their daily need, millions of gallons of water are used in the fracking process. Essentially, an alternative process to fracking is not water-intensive.

Chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing can leak back into water supplies, thereby causing contamination. According to Rawlins, accidents such as breaking of pipes and chemical seeping among others may also cause contamination of nearby water bodies as well as piped water that families use (135-199). Consequently, aquatic life may die due to poor air circulation in their habitat, water bodies. Similarly, domestic animals and human beings that use the local water supplies may be poisoned. Subsequently, this can lead to their death or cause health complications. It is important to understand several cases of contamination in regions where hydraulic fracturing takes place have been reported. For instance, there have been public uproars regarding water contamination due to fracking activities in Texas (Rawlins 135). This has led to many lawsuits and campaigns aimed at banning fracking. This explains that the process is detrimental and needs to be abolished.

Fracked regions are susceptible to earthquakes which can cause massive destruction of property and loss of life. As previously stated, hydraulic fracturing uses water under high pressure to make natural gas and oil to move up to the surface. This fracking procedure artificially triggers an earthquake by exerting too much pressure on the crust. Imperatively, these high-pressure injections of water counteract the friction holding faults together, thereby making the earth crust to quake (McGarr 830-831). It is worthy to note the states that explore oil and natural gas using fracking have had earthquakes in the recent past. These earthquakes have damaged homes and properties, caused injuries and deaths, and spawned lawsuits from residents.

Many trucks transport the extracted natural gas and oil from the fracking sites. Additionally, these trucks transport raw materials such as gallons of water to the mining sites. It is estimated that a well site requires over 2000 truck trips of tankers for every frack. Also, each well can be fracked more than twenty times. According to Litovitz et al., fracking a well can require up to 40, 0000 truck trips to make it exhausted (14-17). Imperatively, these trucks use diesel as their fuel for engine combustion, and as a result, they release carbon dioxide gases to the atmosphere. These gases not only alter water supplies but also change weather patterns. They also alter the growing spells for food crops as well as threatening the lives of coastal communities with rising sea levels.

Concerns of workplace safety are usually associated with the hydraulic fracturing process. Many natural gas and oil industries use different chemicals to carry out fracking. The chemicals have been scientifically tested to determine their effects on workers. It is crucial to elucidate that even though most fracking companies have policies that emphasize workplace safety, some employees disregard these precautions. They, therefore, do not wear personal protective equipment while working. Recent research has found out that fracking chemicals affect eyes and the skin among other sensory organs (Raimi 1). Furthermore, they affect the gastrointestinal and respiratory systems of workers. They also affect the kidneys, cardiovascular and immune systems, the brain, and the endocrine system.

Conclusion

In conclusion, even though the fracking process is essential in gas and oil extraction, it has several harmful effects on the environment. The process releases dangerous gases such as methane to the atmosphere. Methane traps too much heat into the earth's atmosphere, thereby causing global warming. The process also takes in too much water thereby depleting the limited water resources. There are also many truck trips involved in the process which release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Additionally, the process contaminates water resources since small traces of chemicals used leak. Also, the process poses a threat to the safety of workers since the chemicals used are harmful to the skin, eyes, the brain, and other organs and systems. Therefore, the process should be banned and alternative process that does not cause damage to the environment adopted.

Works Cited

Gallegos, Tanya J., et al. "Hydraulic fracturing water use variability in the United States and potential environmental implications." Water Resources Research 51.7 (2015): 5839-5845.

Goldenberg, Suzanne. "What the Frack? US Natural Gas Drilling Method Contaminates Water". The Guardian, 2011, www.theguardian.com/environment/blog/2011/feb/27/frack-natural-gas-drilling-water. Accessed 17 Nov 2018.

Litovitz, Aviva, et al. "Estimation of regional air-quality damages from Marcellus Shale natural gas extraction in Pennsylvania." Environmental Research Letters 8.1 (2013): 14-17.

McGarr, Arthur, et al. "Coping with earthquakes induced by fluid injection." Science 347.6224 (2015): 830-831.

Nisbet, Euan G., Edward J. Dlugokencky, and Philippe Bousquet. "Methane on the rise-again." Science 343.6170 (2014): 493-495.

Raimi, Daniel. "The fracking debate: The risks, benefits, and uncertainties of the shale revolution." Kirkus Reviews, vol. 85, no. 20, Oct. 2017, p. 1

Rawlins, Rachael. "Planning for fracking on the Barnett shale: soil and water contamination concerns, and the role of local government." Environmental Law (2014): 135-199.