Fracking And The Shale Formation - 1300 Words

Fracking The Marcellus Shale formation located in western Pennsylvania, New York, and Ohio is projected to supply an equivalent of 45 years of the United States current energy consumption. Worth an estimated five hundred billion, this can translate into cheaper and wider â€Å"variety of products such as plastic, agrochemicals, and pharmaceuticals.† It can also relate to an â€Å"increase [in] the supply of fertilizer, ensuring the availability of food and reducing†¦the conversion of forests to agricultural farms† (Sovacool 252). The fracking industry will only increase in size in future years, so much so that reclamation of shale gas is called the â€Å"eminent shale gas revolution. British Petroleum [BP], for instance, expects global shale gas†¦show more content†¦While improving production rates, safety, and new methods have lessened environmental impacts. The contents of fracking solution is the basis for much debate and one of the main concerns for many. However, fracking fluid is not the only questionable aspect of fracking. Included is land and infrastructure degradation, physiological harm to local citizens, utilization of legislation loopholes, and the secrecy of fracking fluid formulas within the industry. Fracking, like all industries, has many hazards associated, and has initiated much political discussion at the state and federal levels of government, while inciting concern of local citizens. Fracking is not the cleanest alternative to oil reclamation, but has improved drastically with the introduction of hydraulic fracturing. Hydraulic fracturing is an extremely controversial topic, raising concerns of safety and of economic feasibility by both affected or non-affected citizens and members of government. Nonetheless, the negative attributes of fracking, such as fracking fluid dispersal and other environmental issues are outweighed by the vast economic gains and can be mitigated by a system of regulations and developme nt of new technologies for the industry. The term, â€Å"fracking,† has existed for nearly a half century and has always had the negative connotation of being unclean and associated with many environmental issues and adverse health effects. The massive oil