The Pros And Cons Of Fracking

727 Words3 Pages
Fracking refers to the procedure of creating fractures in rocks and rock formations by injecting fluid into cracks to force them further open. Fracking is a slang term for hydraulic fracturing. The operation starts out by drilling vertically into the ground to a desired depth. It then turns ninety degrees and continues horizontally several thousand feet into shale, believed to contain trapped natural gas. A mixture of water, sand, and various chemicals, is pumped at high pressure into the well, which splits the shale so that the natural gas can escape. The natural gas escapes through the cracks made in the shale and is brought to the surface to be processed. It is a very controversial practice that many citizens believe is to harmful to our…show more content…
In Both the US and the UK there have been such cases. In April and May 2011, there were two small earthquakes in the Blackpool area of Lancashire. These earthquakes measured 2.3 and 1.5 on the Richter scale, despite being small they were felt by people in the local area. After this happened drilling was temporarily suspended after reports by the British Geological Survey showed that the epicenter of the second earthquake was within 500 meters of the drilling site. Fracking firm Cuadrilla who were in charge of the drilling later came out and said that the drilling had probably caused the earthquake, but the unusual geology of the area may have had something to do with it as well. It is thought that waste water, left in the rock causes extra lubrication, causing rock layers to slide over each other and cause tremors. But due to lack of damage caused by earthquakes linked to fracking the likelihood that this would limit future use of fracking is much smaller than the problems caused by water…show more content…
A report from Cornell University in New York claimed that the emissions from fracking are worse than normal gas or even coal due to the escaping methane. The pollution from fracking has also been linked to health problems as well. Researchers from the Colorado School of Public Health conducted a study which showed people living within half a mile of fracking operations were 5 times more exposed to pollution, which could lead to respiratory problems including: eye irritation, headaches, sore throats and difficulty

More about The Pros And Cons Of Fracking

Open Document