Hydraulic Fracturing Essay Example for Free

Hydraulic Fracturing EssayThousands of feet below the balls surface, flows vast reservoirs of one of our planets most sought after commodities. In ancient Babylon there argon writings of a dark elixir oozing from the lands surface, even then the people understood how scarce this material was. Oil, along with Natural turgidity, be exceptionally rich sources of thrust. A gallon of fossil oil surpasses the intersection of five kg of blacken, ten kg of wood, and all over cubic decimeter measure the amount of life force that fifty humans can produce. The richest oil can actually provide one hundred more times the energy, than the resources used to extract it from the ground. Currently the US is entering one of the erectst modern oil booms the world has ever so seen. Unfortunately unlike in ancient Babylon, oil today does not simply ooze bulge out of the ground and into our cars. advanced advances in science and visualization technology have given us a process known as hydraulic fracturing. Also known as plain drilling, or fracking, these crude techniques have caused a expectant controversy and sparked a public debate over the potential risks fracking could prove on our surroundings. Despite the negative pictures environmental lobbyists have painted, hydraulic fracturing is essential for the future of Americas economy. Its principal(prenominal) purpose is to create supposes, a stable market, and advance the future of white-hot energy in the United States.Currently, there has been a focused precaution on the negative environmental impacts fracking could potentially incorporate with it especially in the water supply. at that place are hundreds of on-going investigations taking place to ensure the protection of the environment as well the health of citizens who currently populate near state of affairss that are using a horizontal drilling method. Most of the negative impacts on the environment, associated with fracking, are poorly und erstood by the general public. The water supply has been one of the main concerns voiced by lobbyists and various media outlets. Currently the United States government has issued abundant research on the matter by dint of the Environmental security measures Agency (EPA). The EPA has focused much of its attention on the sustainability of the water supply and soil surrounding current and former drilling posts. The EPA recently released on their main website a statementconfirming the following The EPA currently is working c recedely with industry partners to describe locations and develop research activities for prospective case studies.In prospective case studies, research at the site begins before hydraulic fracturing occurs, and then continues during and after hydraulic fracturing activities. The studies to involution have shown no correlation to foul water supplies before or after the process of hydraulic fracturing. According to the New York Times, Shale gas is accessed at skills of cat valiums of feet while drinking water is extracted from depths of only hundreds of feet. Nowhere in the state have fracking compounds injected at depth been shown to contaminate drinking water. It is fundamental to understand the process at which the gas is extracted to understand where the areas of risk occur. for each one well contains multiple layers of steel casing and cementing to effectively protect groundwater. (API 1) This is essential to the protection of our water supply. It is important to understand the access large oil companies have to advanced equipment and the most brilliant minds. Each course billions of dollars are spent on research towards the extraction and containment of inherent gas as well how to break dance the carbon footprint left after drilling.Many natural gas operators have chosen to demote the ingredients of their cocktails to the website FracFocus.org, it is operated by the Groundwater Protection Council. This website includes a p ublic record that can be examined by drill site or well location, individuals can effortlessly view the components used to fracture elaborated wells. As of proterozoic 2012, nearly one hundred companies have already provided information about approximately ten thousand wells and that number increases every day. (API) Companies in our modern society understand the importance of transparency. Access to websites and detailed logs have given the public the ability to make their own judgments on the safety of individual operators. This makes large and independent companies held to higher standards than ever before. While there are greenhouse gases released during the extraction process they are significantly less than our current coal-fired plants. Shale gas emits half the carbon dioxide per unit of energy as does coal, and coal burning also emits metals such(prenominal) as mercury into the standard atmosphere that eventually settle back into our soils and waters. (New York Times) Thi s is of great importance to understand especially as one of the oldest and largest coal-fired plant operates inwest Texas.Advocacy groups such as the Sierra alliance are fighting to shut down these highly destructive plants. scorch and gas-fired power plants emit more than 2.3 billion metric tons per year of carbon pollution, approximately 40% of total U.S. energy-related carbon pollution.(SierraClub.Org) Because of intense restrictions any emissions from oil and gas wells must stay at heart agreed state and federal restrictions to guarantee the health and well-being of residents. Natural gas is considered a clean burning fuel because of its comparatively low emissions of carbon dioxide, sulfur oxides, and nitrogen oxides.(API 1) According to the Environmental Protection Agency, natural gas-fired electricity generates half the carbon dioxide of coal-fired production. As a country we have gained a addiction on energy and as we grow new techniques go forth have to be discovered t o handle our consumption rate. Hydraulic Fracturing brings us closer to clean energy while having an instantaneous benefit to our atmosphere and environment by making dangerous coal-fired plants obsolete. The oil and natural gas industry resources are good valuable to the United States economy as one of the countrys major employers and buyers of imports.Maintaining its harvest-festival through a struggling economy, Americas oil and natural gas operators carry on to deliver well-paying employment, returns to administrations and share growth for millions of Americans. With increased access to U.S. oil and gas resources we can create 1 million new jobs in the next ten years alone.(Green 1) That means if the nation could regulate the practice of fracking, while protecting the environment, it in return would create one million American jobs. That would not only raise our unemployment rate exponentially, simply would insert millions of value dollars back into the economy for improved infrastructure or education. Expansion of oil and natural gas shale assets sustained more than 2.1 million jobs in 2012.(API 1) Affordable, native natural gas is vital to tonic the chemical, manufacturing, and steel industries. These great industries have supported our nation in the past and give continue into the future. The American Chemistry Council determined A 25 percent increase in the supply of ethane (the fluid derived from shale gas) could add over 400,000 jobs across the economy, provide over $4.4 billion annually in federal, state, and local tax revenue, and spur $16.2 billion in capital investment by the chemical industry That added boost tothe job market is a gift long overimputable to our struggling economy.Similarly, the National Association of Manufacturers estimated that high recuperation of shale gas and frown natural gas prices will befriend U.S. manufacturers employ 1,000,000 workers by 2025. This will without delay stimulate small town communities by offe ring technical job positions with life-long benefits. As well the added income will help to slowly relieve the burden of debt many families are suffering from. An IHS report, Americas New brawn Future The Unconventional Oil and Gas Revolution and the US Economy, estimates that Mainly due to lower energy prices, average disposable income per household increased by more than $1,200 in 2012.(IHS 4) This has continuously been omitted from the main stream media. Numerous industry sponsored reports are connecting gushing oil and natural gas production brought on by fracking is lifting the United States economy by dropping energy costs for clients and producers. It has a direct correlation as we produce more on shore energy our costs and high import taxes decrease. This in move has a trickle-down policy when oil costs less to extract, ship, and use then household energy bills go down.President Obamas 2012 State of the Union address the President claimed recognition for governing the dir ect decline in oil imports in current times and for accomplishing the lowest use of need on oil imports in sixteen years. He accredited that notable outcome somewhat to improved oil production in North and South Dakota but mainly to the substantial surge in gas production that has directly stemmed from hydraulic fracturing. There is a clear indication that the risks of fracking are decrease day by day as the benefits continue to increase. The crash of 2008 brought our economy to a grinding halt. There is currently no other market that could stimulate the economy as much as the energy sector. The United States Economy will progress substantially over the next ten years due to the shale boom. Hydraulic fracturing will reduce the cost of energy while raising manufacturing. Most importantly it will reassure chemical and technology companies will receive higher endowments giving us an edge over our competitors. Fracking will also reduce the cost of transportation by fueling our vehicles with clean natural gas. By performing quality due diligence we can omit the fears associated with hydraulic fracturing once and for all.Joint cooperation from the US Department of Energy and the International Energy Agency will contribute access to up to date reports on the environment and public safety. Hydraulic fracturing offers us hundreds of years producing clean, dependable, sustainable energy. It will directly affect the following generations while having a positive effect on our current economy. Hydraulic fracturing is the future without it, we would lose 45 percent of domestic natural gas production and 17 percent of our oil production within 5 years.(API 1) Some view hydraulic fracturing in an undesirable context. I am positive(p) in hydraulic fracturing and see it as a window of opportunity for America that will help boost the economy while giving an immediate reduction in greenhouse gases. The benefits and rewards of hydraulic fracturing simply outweighs the risks.Work s CitedBrantley, Susan L., and Anna Meyendorff. The Facts on Fracking. Nytimes.com. NewYork Times, 13 Mar. 2013. Web. 4 Mar. 2014.Efstathiou, Jim, Jr. Bloomberg. Bloomberg.com. Bloomberg, 3 Sept. 2013. Web. 03Mar. 2014. .Green, Mark. Energy Tomorrow Home. Energy Tomorrow Home. API.ORG, 28Feb. 2014. Web. 04 Mar. 2014.Hassett, Kevin A., and Aparna Mathur. American Enterprise Institute. AEI. Aei.org, 4Apr. 2013. Web. 04 Mar. 2014.Larson, John W., and Richard Fullenbaum. Americas New Energy Future. Rep. no.Vol. 3. IHS.com, Sept. 2013. Web. 4 Mar. 2014..Pierce, Richard J., Jr. Scholarly Commons. Site. Gwu.edu, 2013. Web. 04 Mar. 2014..Sierra Club Home Page Explore, Enjoy and Protect the Planet. Sierra Club HomePage Explore, Enjoy and Protect the Planet. Sierraclub.org, 2012. Web. 04 Mar. 2014.United States. Environmental Protection Agency. Department of the Enviroment. Progress enshroud Webinar. Epa.gov, 28 Feb. 2014. Web. 2 Mar. 2014. . Zobak, Mark. American Petroleum Institute. Americ an Petroleum Institute.API.ORG, Sept. 2013. Web. 02 Mar. 2014.