In the peer-reviewed article I
choose, “Fracking Fury” by Janna Palliser, many interesting points are brought
up. Palliser starts the article off by defining what hydraulic fracking (HF) is
and what it is known as. Palliser defines fracking as “an unconventional technique in gas production that has been around in
some form since the 1940s” and that “the gas extracted through HF is
highly dispersed in rock, instead of in a concentrated underground location,
and dispersed gas is produced only by special stimulation techniques”
(2). Later on in the article she uncovers the pros and cons of HF and how they
affect the surrounding environment. One pro of HF is that natural gas is
cleaner than other natural resources such as coal and oil. On the other hand,
one con of HF is that the regulations on it haven’t been established yet
because HF is a fairly new method of drilling and the hazards associated with
it are also new. “Escalating concerns include adverse effects on drinking
water, human health, animals, and ecosystems.” (7) Towards the end of
the article Palliser begins to talk about how the dangerous the fracking
industry has become because, as of 2011, they do not have to follow the Safe
Drinking Water Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Clean Air Act.
I agree with Palliser on how harmful the fracking
industry can be and that they need to be regulated. Although this new type of natural
gas is cleaner, if you look at the net gain/loss, it still isn’t the best
choice for energy. Many terrible things can be caused from fracking such as drinking
water pollution, human and animal health, and the functioning of ecosystems.
I completely agree with you about the dangers of fracking. This new way of drilling has more of an advantage because it doesn't have to follow regulations or any of the water acts so it leaves room for, like you said, water pollution and harming the health of the human population. This article you read is very similar to “Feds Link Water Contamination to Fracking for the First Time” by Abraham Lustgarten and Nicholas Kusnetz. Like Palliser's article, the Lustgarten and Kusnetz piece focuses on the issue of fracking. They discuss the how the EPA has discovered toxic pollutants deep in the wells of the drinking water which would poison the people in the surrounding neighborhoods. In both articles, the hazards of fracking are directly made known to the reader.
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