Fracking is our Future
A new technology for natural gas extraction called Hydraulic Fracturing has created a significant amount of enthusiasm and dispute since its introduction in the late 1900’s. Fracking offers many positive benefits to the United States, the United States must use these to their advantage. Fracking gives you the money you need while helping our economy. This is an offer that is hard to pass up for many, and it should be.
Economic boost is something the United States economy could use during time of hardship and downfall. With a few weeks of hydraulic fracturing decades of energy can be created. For nearly 60 years hydraulic fracturing has played an important role in developing America’s oil and natural gas resources. According to Energy from Shale, In just two to five days of hydraulic fracturing 20 to 40 years of natural gas or oil can be supplied, this amount is extensive to our economy. (Energy from shale)
Hydraulic fracturing or fracking is a process of drilling horizontally, thousands of feet into the ground, then pushing many gallons of water, sand, and chemicals at high pressures into the well. When the pressurized liquid is pushed into the well the shale begins to crack, opening up fissures. These fissures are held open by the sand particles so that the natural gas can flow up the well. (Energy from shale)
Many argue that the chemicals put into the ground from fracking are toxic and very harmful. This is true, many chemicals are toxic and can harm the body, as well as the ground and the surrounding environment. But according to Energy from Shale’s website water accounts for 90 percent of the fracking mixture and sand accounts for 9.5 percent, this leaves a small amount, .5 percent as chemicals (Energy from shale). These chemicals are well managed by oil and gas companies, and are unlikely to contaminate ground water if fracking is done properly. An extensive amount of new technology has been integrated into gas drilling and wells to prevent any contaminations. Thicker pipe and stronger metals are now used in the drilling process, as well improved safety pre-cautions, and chemical holding tanks.
Greg Kozera says “Hydraulic fracturing is done at thousands of feet below the surface. How do you feel about running up a 5,000 foot mountain? A water molecule doesn't like it either especially if it has to go through rock. Water likes to stay at the same depth it is at or flow deeper. Water CANNOT go UP thousands of feet through rock to reach our groundwater.” (Afraid of Fracking)
Many believe that green is better, well so is natural gas. Natural gas is cleaner burning opposed to oil or coal which is modeled as a better burner. The amount of carbon dioxide CO2 and sulfur dioxide emissions are significantly less opposed to those emitted from coal and oil (EIA). Natural gas is a step in the right direction in helping create less pollution which many say causes global warming. The footstep that natural gas leaves behind is much smaller than when the process first began in the early 90’s. Natural gas companies may be lauded as careless but have worked effortlessly to advance in helping rather than hurting our environment and its surroundings.
According to state journals “The average natural gas bill fell by over $1,000 last year thanks to the abundance of natural gas due to fracturing” (Afraid of fracking). Fracking is proving that it is helping the economy, rather than hurting it. Fracking gives people jobs, without these jobs many of these people would become unemployed and the government would have to pay for them, therefore anti-fracking is hurting the economy instead of helping it. Job creation, something that natural gas produces well. Job creation is 345 thousand jobs, jobs created in the United States, and these jobs aren’t disappearing anytime soon. Natural gas is lauded to last for at least the next hundred years, running out won’t be anytime soon, if ever. This is a decrease in unemployment, a decrease in food stamps, a decrease in poverty, and a decrease in depression.
Many local farms are “selling out” because the cost of farming is much larger than the financial profit. Farmers are the ones who produce the food which keeps Americans healthy and living. Farmers produce the foods you need to survive. Without farms there is little to no food at all. Are you wondering how fracking relates? Well hydraulic fracking allows farmers to lease a portion of their land that could potentially be drilled on for an amount of money per acre. This gives farmers money they need and the land is not always drilled. Fracking has been very beneficial to farmers such as this one D. Brink, “I will admit it was becoming a struggle but we farmed for the community. When the gas companies came in willing to sign a contract for acres of un-used land I was skeptical. But in the end I signed the contract and have used much of the money toward our
farm.” Dave also explained the financial freedom it gave and the relief he had felt after signing. The Companies have yet to drill on his property. This example shows just a little bit of economic freedom and stability that Fracking can create, without even touching the land.
Have you ever relied on someone and been let down? The answer for many is yes. The United States is very reliant on other nations for our oil supply. Less reliance on foreign oil and more dependence on our own oil is something that the United States needs to begin to implement. In the nearing years the United States can reduce foreign consumption by 60% that is if more wells are drilled on our own land. (The future of Fracking) Dependence on our own oil, brings troops from overseas home, troops that many families haven’t seen in days, months and even years. We should fear for our troops in the Mideast fighting to gain more oil when we have it in our own country.
Natural gas drilling is becoming heavily regulated to protect the United Sates but other countries such as Russia have no regulations, that air is going into the same atmosphere as ours, the United States.
Over the past few years there has been many natural disasters, such as the flood. The flood of 2012 was something many people locally were affected by. Many were out of power during the storms, but some had generators to keep their homes running. Without natural gas there wouldn’t have been those generators to keep their homes running. Generators the hospitals were using to keep Americans living and breathing when the power goes out. Generators that kept now homeless children warm in the local school gymnasium that was not flooded. Generators that kept gas stations open, grocery stores and banks. Generators that allowed the towns, villages and cities to move on and overcome adversity.
Hydraulic Fracturing can make the change of bringing U.S. soldiers home, keeping you and your family employed, while giving the economy a boost and creating something for ourselves, on our own soil. Fracking has made a difference in the United States, the United Sates must make a difference on fracking.
A new technology for natural gas extraction called Hydraulic Fracturing has created a significant amount of enthusiasm and dispute since its introduction in the late 1900’s. Fracking offers many positive benefits to the United States, the United States must use these to their advantage. Fracking gives you the money you need while helping our economy. This is an offer that is hard to pass up for many, and it should be.
Economic boost is something the United States economy could use during time of hardship and downfall. With a few weeks of hydraulic fracturing decades of energy can be created. For nearly 60 years hydraulic fracturing has played an important role in developing America’s oil and natural gas resources. According to Energy from Shale, In just two to five days of hydraulic fracturing 20 to 40 years of natural gas or oil can be supplied, this amount is extensive to our economy. (Energy from shale)
Hydraulic fracturing or fracking is a process of drilling horizontally, thousands of feet into the ground, then pushing many gallons of water, sand, and chemicals at high pressures into the well. When the pressurized liquid is pushed into the well the shale begins to crack, opening up fissures. These fissures are held open by the sand particles so that the natural gas can flow up the well. (Energy from shale)
Many argue that the chemicals put into the ground from fracking are toxic and very harmful. This is true, many chemicals are toxic and can harm the body, as well as the ground and the surrounding environment. But according to Energy from Shale’s website water accounts for 90 percent of the fracking mixture and sand accounts for 9.5 percent, this leaves a small amount, .5 percent as chemicals (Energy from shale). These chemicals are well managed by oil and gas companies, and are unlikely to contaminate ground water if fracking is done properly. An extensive amount of new technology has been integrated into gas drilling and wells to prevent any contaminations. Thicker pipe and stronger metals are now used in the drilling process, as well improved safety pre-cautions, and chemical holding tanks.
Greg Kozera says “Hydraulic fracturing is done at thousands of feet below the surface. How do you feel about running up a 5,000 foot mountain? A water molecule doesn't like it either especially if it has to go through rock. Water likes to stay at the same depth it is at or flow deeper. Water CANNOT go UP thousands of feet through rock to reach our groundwater.” (Afraid of Fracking)
Many believe that green is better, well so is natural gas. Natural gas is cleaner burning opposed to oil or coal which is modeled as a better burner. The amount of carbon dioxide CO2 and sulfur dioxide emissions are significantly less opposed to those emitted from coal and oil (EIA). Natural gas is a step in the right direction in helping create less pollution which many say causes global warming. The footstep that natural gas leaves behind is much smaller than when the process first began in the early 90’s. Natural gas companies may be lauded as careless but have worked effortlessly to advance in helping rather than hurting our environment and its surroundings.
According to state journals “The average natural gas bill fell by over $1,000 last year thanks to the abundance of natural gas due to fracturing” (Afraid of fracking). Fracking is proving that it is helping the economy, rather than hurting it. Fracking gives people jobs, without these jobs many of these people would become unemployed and the government would have to pay for them, therefore anti-fracking is hurting the economy instead of helping it. Job creation, something that natural gas produces well. Job creation is 345 thousand jobs, jobs created in the United States, and these jobs aren’t disappearing anytime soon. Natural gas is lauded to last for at least the next hundred years, running out won’t be anytime soon, if ever. This is a decrease in unemployment, a decrease in food stamps, a decrease in poverty, and a decrease in depression.
Many local farms are “selling out” because the cost of farming is much larger than the financial profit. Farmers are the ones who produce the food which keeps Americans healthy and living. Farmers produce the foods you need to survive. Without farms there is little to no food at all. Are you wondering how fracking relates? Well hydraulic fracking allows farmers to lease a portion of their land that could potentially be drilled on for an amount of money per acre. This gives farmers money they need and the land is not always drilled. Fracking has been very beneficial to farmers such as this one D. Brink, “I will admit it was becoming a struggle but we farmed for the community. When the gas companies came in willing to sign a contract for acres of un-used land I was skeptical. But in the end I signed the contract and have used much of the money toward our
farm.” Dave also explained the financial freedom it gave and the relief he had felt after signing. The Companies have yet to drill on his property. This example shows just a little bit of economic freedom and stability that Fracking can create, without even touching the land.
Have you ever relied on someone and been let down? The answer for many is yes. The United States is very reliant on other nations for our oil supply. Less reliance on foreign oil and more dependence on our own oil is something that the United States needs to begin to implement. In the nearing years the United States can reduce foreign consumption by 60% that is if more wells are drilled on our own land. (The future of Fracking) Dependence on our own oil, brings troops from overseas home, troops that many families haven’t seen in days, months and even years. We should fear for our troops in the Mideast fighting to gain more oil when we have it in our own country.
Natural gas drilling is becoming heavily regulated to protect the United Sates but other countries such as Russia have no regulations, that air is going into the same atmosphere as ours, the United States.
Over the past few years there has been many natural disasters, such as the flood. The flood of 2012 was something many people locally were affected by. Many were out of power during the storms, but some had generators to keep their homes running. Without natural gas there wouldn’t have been those generators to keep their homes running. Generators the hospitals were using to keep Americans living and breathing when the power goes out. Generators that kept now homeless children warm in the local school gymnasium that was not flooded. Generators that kept gas stations open, grocery stores and banks. Generators that allowed the towns, villages and cities to move on and overcome adversity.
Hydraulic Fracturing can make the change of bringing U.S. soldiers home, keeping you and your family employed, while giving the economy a boost and creating something for ourselves, on our own soil. Fracking has made a difference in the United States, the United Sates must make a difference on fracking.