Hydraulic Fracturing- Good or Bad?

A lot of discussion has been going on recently on what the states and/or the federal government should do on the question of fracking.  Some states, like Pennsylvania, have legalized fracking, and are seeing unquestioned economic boom and lower energy costs.  Supporters of fracking argue that any serious environmental risk is yet unproven, and the economic reward with the influx of rare chemicals is well worth the risk.  However, research suggests that emerging environmental effects on the region could be potentially disastrous.  Initial reports show that fracking could and has led to the contamination of groundwater by dangerous chemicals, human exposure to these toxic chemicals, and further worsening of global warming and air pollution.  This has led some states, like New York, to ban hydraulic fracturing in order to protect our environment.  The question thus is, what should be done about fracking?  Should more research be done before we allow fracking to take place in order to fully understand environmental impacts, or should we start fracking now, seep the rewards, and potentially revise later on if these environmental risks prove to be credible?


In order to fully understand everything surrounding this controversial, we must first investigate the process behind the removal of chemicals from deep underground, called fracking.  Fracking involves smashing and breaking bedrock with millions of gallons of water, in order to bring deep underground and untapped gas to the surface.

The latest issues concerning fracking involve cases in California and Florida, in which case, fracking related spills have occurred.  As scientists point out, most compounds used in the process are harmless, however, some can cause major environmental damage.  That being said, I believe the right approach to take is to set in place strict regulations before fracking is able to be put into practice.  In addition, fracking should not be allowed in high risk areas or regions with high populations where the effects could be heightened.  With greater transparency and oversight, environmental impacts could be minimized while still reaping the economic benefits.  However, if further environmental damage is shown to occur, the state should take action to prevent fracking.

http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/health/case_studies/hydrofracking_w.html
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/03/160309160737.htm
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