Discovery Paper Fracking - Hydraulic Fracturing

You might be asking yourself, what entirely is Hydraulic Fracturing? As David Shukman, a writer for the BBC, explains, fracking “is the process of drilling down into the earth before a high-pressure water mixture is directed at the rock to release the gas inside. Water, sand and chemicals are injected into the rock at high pressure which allows the gas to flow out to the head of the well”. In other words, fracking can be seen as a method of drilling down into the earth to extract natural gas. This requiring chemicals and other liquids that could potentially cause damage to local water supplies as well as air quality. Although fracking has been present since the 1930s, the modern fracking we know of today didn’t get a start until the 1990s. This was when horizontal drilling was first integrated into the whole fracking assembly. From then on, fracking has been seen as a way to individualize America and make it an energy independent nation. Not only will fracking individualize the USA, but will also create an “Americana” feeling for all Americans (Yergin).

At the end of the day, fracking comes down to two sides, “economic arguments (benefits) against environmental ones (costs) (Woodford). Either you are for it or against it. Many people, including myself, have trouble picking a side since both sides have both their pros and cons. The biggest argument in favor of fracking is that the process helps Americas’ oil and gas industry by accumulating more fossil fuels. This is a major key since the United States primarily depends on other countries for its flow of natural resource. This income of home extruded oil will cause a sense of individualism to grow across America. Not only does fracking accumulate fossil fuels, but it also provides jobs for many who are unemployed. Banning fracking will, “lead not only to lost jobs but also to a decline of $251 million in economic activity” (Krauss). If that is the case for a small city in north Texas, imagine what impact the ban could cause the economy on a nationwide ban?

Several nights ago I was awakened from my sleep by a disturbance of which I later found had been an earthquake. Could this have been one of the effects of excessive fracking in the area? Many people want to place a ban on fracking due to the environmental issues that come along with it. By far the biggest problem