Fracking- The dilemma of planet or industry
By Phoenix Quintanilla
By Phoenix Quintanilla
Fracking is the process of creating fractures in rocks using hydraulic fluids and water in order to extract oil. This practice has become one of the most talked about methods in the fossil fuel industry due to its severe and numerous environmental impacts. A major environmental impact of fracking is the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. A common chemical used in fracking is methane, and during the fracking process around 4% of the methane used is released into the atmosphere creating air pollution and furthering the effects of global warming. In addition to air pollution fracking also has far reaching impacts on human access to clean water. Fracking often requires millions of gallons of water in order to extract the oil which reduces the availability of clean water. To further add on to the list of issues 40% of the water returned to the surface comes back contaminated by chemicals leading to the pollution of water in lakes and rivers. The severity of the pollution caused by fracking will create long lasting negative effects on the environment if more of an effort is not done to reduce its effects.
So with all the negative effects that fracking creates for the environment we should just stop doing it right, well that’s where things get complicated. While fracking does harm the environment it also does a great deal for the oil industry and the economy. Fracking has a lower energy cost due to it being able to obtain oil on a local level, thus lowering the energy cost it would have taken in order to import across the globe. The fracking industry has also provided numerous people with jobs. In 2012 it was reported that fracking provided 1.2 million people with jobs in the United States. With the pros of fracking taken into mind the dilemma becomes obvious, is the health of the environment worth terminating over a million jobs and increasing energy costs importing oil?
Ideally the best way to solve the fracking issue would be to find an alternative source of energy. This is where renewable energy comes into play. Renew eagle energy such as solar and wind power can reduce air pollution and produce no greenhouse gases of their own. In addition to this putting more efforts into renewable energy would also create more jobs as the industry continues to grow. The only issue with sustainable energy right now is that installing it can be expensive, often more so than fossil fuels.
Personally I feel that switching to sustainable energy sources on an individual level is the best way to help reduce the harmful effects of fracking. Simply getting solar panels installed is a great first step to switching from fossil fuels to sustainable energy. Not only does this help reduce levels of air and water pollution but it also helps enlarge the sustainable energy industry, thus creating a need for more jobs producing forms of energy.
Questions:
1.) What do you think the best approach is to end fracking?
2.) Why might companies choose to continue with fracking while knowing that sustainable energy sources exist?
3.) What are your thoughts on sustainable forms of energy and their growing potential?
Sources:
27 comments:
I believe that the increasing use of alternative energy sources goes hand in hand with the declining demand for fossil fuels. It is unreasonable to hope that we can come together and entirely stop using fossil fuels but as more and more technologies turn to solar or wind power, I think we will see a steady decline in fossil fuel use. It is this trend that will lead to the eventual end of fracking. As a society, we should turn our focus onto finding new energy sources so that we can quickly move away from the practices that are killing our Earth. Fracking is a far cheaper and efficient energy source than solar or wind energy right now. As a result, companies are promoted to continue fracking.
The best approach to end fracking is using more renewable sources of energy because it can decrease overall population levels. Although implementations of alternative resources are costly, it is worth sustaining the environment. Companies will continue exploitative practices because it minimizes input and maximizes input. They find cheap methods to make an immense amount of money. Industries' best interest is all about increasing profits, but some do not understand the consequences of their actions. My thoughts on sustainable energy is that although it is a better option than fracking, it is not easily accessible. People are more willing to pay for cheap energy sources than use expensive ones that sustain the environment. The world should develop more accessible and sustainable alternative sources of energy that it will appeal to more people.
The best approach in ending fracking is using renewable items such as solar and wind power because it can reduce air pollution and produce no greenhouse gases. I think companies choose to continue with fracking even if they know that sustainable energy sources exist because fracked natural gas is cheaper than coal for the energy it produces. I think people are more likely to choose the cheap way in energy sources than going the expensive way. It would be best if the world created a more easier source of energy were everyone can access to it easier.
Although it is unfriendly to the environment, I believe that fracking will never end as a process of extracting oil because it provides millions of jobs and has a low cost of energy. But on an individual level, solar panels are a great approach to switch from using fossil fuels to renewable energy. Companies choose to continue with fracking because it is cheap and efficient. People are going to continue to use fossil fuels because they are not willing to spend the extra money to install sustainable energy.
I believe that the dilemma of choosing to limit/end the process that is fracking comes down to what holds priority: the future of the environment or our current, temporary economic wellbeing. Of course it is very understandable that the jobs and economic opportunities fracking produces is very important to the present. However, gradually decreasing fracking until it is completely eradicated gives importance both to the imposing environmental conservation issue at hand and gives time for those dependent on the fracking business to find a new source of living.
Fracking obviously has created jobs for people and so any drastic measure would hurt those people and come possibly with some public backlash. Fracking has to be banned, but humans also want their jobs. Therefore, I would say that there should be an out right ban with assistance for those who have to jobs and companies a little cushion to convert their technology to renewable energy. This would most likely create more jobs while also helping us move away from such procedures. Companies continue with these products because they have to show share holders that they are making profits. Because of this, they do not spend much money on trying to grow their business into other sectors as fast as they can. I think that sustainable energy sources are the future of the energy sector. There is a lot of push from the public and some governments.
I think the best approach to end fracking is finding alternative, cleaner forms of energy. I think companies continue to choose fracking because it costs less, increases profit, and provides people with jobs. I think sustainable forms of energy are the future source of power. Because climate change is becoming severe and threatening to all life, I think that sustainable energy may be used more than it is currently used in the future. Furthermore, the costs of installing renewable energy plants, such as windmills and solar panels, may become less expensive because of improved technology. Also, I remember watching a video where scientists are using oil produced from algae as a renewable resource instead of fossil fuels. So, new and interesting forms of sustainable energy may emerge.
I believe that the best approach to end fracking is to continue to research and apply renewable and alternative forms of energy. Companies may not want to stop fracking despite knowing the effects because they know that fracking brings in a steady revenue and there are too many unknowns regarding alternative energy sources. Big companies need to decide whether their profit is more important than the future of the environment and sustainability. I think sustainable forms of energy are extremely important and their growing potential is going to be really beneficial for the future of the earth.
I think the best approach to ending fracking is to start implementing more renewable forms of energy. The government can require certain areas to only be powered by renewable power sources. Com planes might continue to use fracking because it is a method that has been used for a long time and is familiar to everyone. Fracking also has lots of job opportunities and companies would have to lay off employees to implement more renewable energy sources. I think that as technology gets better, newer renewable energy sources will be used around the world and these will ever naturally be producing more power than possible while fracking.
I think the best approach to end fracking is to switch to a renewable energy sources such as wind energy, solar power, and more. Companies do not want to spend the time and money to change to sustainable energy sources, as fracking gets them money now and fast. I think as technology and science improves renewable energy has huge potential to grow because it will be more accessible to companies and allow for new and more jobs.
i think that the best way we can end franking is to find ways to use renewable resources. This can be done through continuing research and exploring alternative forms of energy. Companies continue to because fracking is more economically beneficial. This process is more efficient and makes more money for companies which is their only concern. My thoughts on sustainable forms of energy is that they are necessary to save the environment. Companies should make an effort to keep economic benefits to side and look to save the environment.
I agree with the point that you made in your blog that the best way to help with fracking is to come up with alternative forms of energy. This is not easy, however, because it can be extremely expensive to install renewable energy such as solar panels. I do not think that it is necessary to eliminate all fossil fuels and non renewable sources of energy. I instead believe that we should just reduce the amount we use so we do not harm the environment to a point that it cannot be recovered. Too much of the economy and industries rely on fossils fuels, so it would be nearly impossible to cut them out completely. This is why many companies and choose to turn a blind eye to what they are doing to the environment and continues fracking. Too many big corporations and business owners think that it is not worth sacrificing all of their money and hard work for the environment (a selfish outlook if you ask me!). I think that renewable resources of energy are going to increase and become more prominent in the future. There are already many people that have chosen to use solar energy for their home and rely on energy powered by windmills. As technology gets better and better, there will be many more opportunities to use renewable resources and help slate the environment.
The best approach to ending fracking is to start using more renewable energy sources. However, I am not sure if this will happen any time in the near future. Companies often care more about making profit than they care about doing what is right. It is for this reason that I’m incredibly doubtful that it will happen. Hopefully we can make the switch though, renewable energy sources would greatly help reduce the harm that we are putting onto the environment right now.
I think by using more renewable resources we can stop fracking. The only problem with that is that the world already revolves around using fossil fuels to power everything. Society is moving forward by using renewable resources, but we still heavily rely on fossil fuels. Additionally, companies will not easily switch because then they will not make the money they usually make. I think in the near future nothing will happen, but maybe in the next couple of decades we might have a chance.
I can believe the best approach to ending fracking is by slowly transitioning to renewable sources such as hydroelectricity and solar. While undergoing this transitioning period, consumers should also help reduce the demand for natural gas and other fossil fuels. This case, with time, those people who have jobs can work until retirement. Once the last generation of fracking-related employees retire, fossil fuels from America at least can be obsolete. Companies continue to use fracking as a main source of profit for energy due to the realatively cheap process in relation to building large solar farms and hydroelectric dams. I believe it is all a matter of time for sustainable forms of energy to take over. Already, electric cars are in market at more affordable prices than few years back. The market is making fast work with the development of sustainable forms of energy products.
I think the best approach to end fracking is to use renewable energy sources such as solar, hydroelectricity, and more. Companies probably continue to use fracking because it is the easier option and is already developed. If we switched to using renewable resources it would take a lot of time to get adjusted. I like the idea of using sustainable forms of energy because it would help solve a lot of environmental problems in the world.
The best way to end fracking to is find an alternative to it that don’t emit a lot of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. For example, renewable energy since fossil fuels have negatively impacted our environment. Since companies are more worried about their economic growth they are more concerned on the cheapest and easiest way to grow their company. Fossil fuels are easy to access and so therefore they will continue using them. Sustainable energy is very beneficial for our environment and within a couple years it can grow and replace fossil fuels.
I believe that the best approach to end fracking is to steadily switch to renewable energy, such as solar, geothermal, and hydroelectric power. I think that renewable energy is the right way to go because it is created from natural resources that restock after a certain period of time, all without depleting the Earth’s resources.
I think that the best approach to ending or at least reducing fracking is to use renewable resources such as solar energy and wind energy rather than fossil fuels for energy. Although it seems obvious to many that renewable energy is the safe and right choice, many companies still do not choose it because it is more cost efficient to use fracking. Renewable energy, while environmentally friendly, it is usually expensive. Fracking, however, uses a low cost for energy, which companies benefit from because they can make a profit. I think renewable energy, while expensive, will be more beneficial in the long run because it will save many resources and will help the planet from funning out of fossil fuels.
I think fracking will continue because we’re so used to the usage of fossil fuel. I believe that people should either rely on renewable resources or reduce the usage of fossil fuel. If companies stop fracking, many employees will lose their job and our economy will collapse. I think companies should find the efficient way to produce renewable resources.
I think the expense of sustainable energy sources is worth the result. Not only is it better for the environment but it doesn’t get rid of job opportunities for people. Unfortunately, many companies would probably rather stick to what they know and not make that expense. Maybe if the transition was slow it would be easier for them to get used to the newer way of using energy. It would also give them time to adjust job wise and educate themselves on the benefits of these resources.
I personally think that alternative energy would be the best replacement for fracking. It would help on the job front as well as the environmental health front. Many companies, however, would rather stick to what they are familiar with than risk a new venture. Additionally, they would worry about their temporary loss of revenue. However, if companies switch to renewable energy it would be more beneficial to them and to environment in the long run—they are working with nonrenewable resources which will eventually run out and put them company in danger.
I think the best approach to end fracking is for everyone to start trying to limit their own consumption of products that rely on fossil fuels and start trying to support more companies that use renewable resources. I think once renewable resources have enough money to be successful then we can make the switch and it wont be as hard on the economy and stuff. Companies probably choose fracking because its easier, cheaper, and more reliable than renewable resources. I think renewable resources are smart but I’m not sure about the pros vs. cons when it comes to their production. What kind of energy is used to make a big ol windmill? And all those solar panels? Sure that could create jobs but like isn’t there a possibility that producing this stuff could be bad for the environment as well? Just a thought.
I think the best approach to end fracking is the same as what the blog said where we should try to find another source of energy which will have less environmental impact on the earths surface. I can see why fracking has had a negative effect to the environment due to it being low in cost for locals. I think companies choose to continue with fracking while knowing that sustainable energies sources exist because it has a low energy cost to extract the oil.
Honestly, relying on more sustainable practices is our only true hope to end fracking. Solar and wind power, while not currently perfected, will basically have to be the leading ideas to end this horrible practice. The true reason companies don't seek change or even change their methods as a whole is due to cost. Money is the ultimate decision-maker in a business's actions. In this case, changing practices would be costly, thus, deterring businesses. I greatly admire the solar and wind-powered ideas of the future. I like the idea of underwater wind farming (basically the turbines are turned by currents) but am not educated enough as to how they impact the environment.
I think the best way to really end anything is to place laws or regulations on the practice. Another thing with that is that we need to have serious punishments for companies and organizations that are caught performing this practice. Fracking is easier. Sustainable practices tend to be slower and more expensive. I find them to be great and I think I would much rather have less oil and gas than no planet at all.
I think that the best approach, in my opinion, is to gradually make a switch to alternate sources of energy which do not carry such a large burden on the environment. Some of these may be solar energy or hydro or even with wind, anything that will take away all of the negative impacts of fracking, along with the economic advantages. This is because I do not believe in hurting our planet of inhabitance for the economy whatsoever.
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