![]() ![]() But trucking and storage accidents have spilled fracking fluids and brines, leading to contamination of water and soils that had to be cleaned up. The only surprise from that study was that many of the wells failed drinking water regulations before drilling started. In one study of 200 private water wells in the fracking regions of Pennsylvania, water quality was the same before and soon after drilling in all wells except one. Nowhere in the state have fracking compounds injected at depth been shown to contaminate drinking water. In Pennsylvania, shale gas is accessed at depths of thousands of feet while drinking water is extracted from depths of only hundreds of feet. The Pennsylvania experience with water contamination is also instructive. For example, of the tens of thousands of deep injection wells in use by the energy industry across the United States, only about eight locations have experienced injection-induced earthquakes, most too weak to feel and none causing significant damage. Some of the local effects of drilling and fracking have gotten a lot of press but caused few problems, while others are more serious. Pennsylvania has seen rapid development of the Marcellus shale, a geological formation that could contain nearly 500 trillion cubic feet of gas - enough to power all American homes for 50 years at recent rates of residential use. New fracking technologies allow for the extraction of more gas, thus contributing more to climate change than previous natural gas extraction.Īs politicians in Europe and the United States consider whether, and under what conditions, fracking should be allowed, the experience of Pennsylvania is instructive. In addition to these local effects, natural gas extraction has global environmental consequences, because the methane gas that is accessed through extraction and the carbon dioxide released during methane burning are both greenhouse gases that contribute to global climate change. Injection of brine into deep wells for disposal has in rare cases triggered small earthquakes. This brine can be detrimental if not disposed of properly. Water from all gas wells often returns to the surface containing extremely low but measurable concentrations of radioactive elements and huge concentrations of salt. Methane gas can escape into the environment out of any gas well, creating the real though remote possibility of dangerous explosions. Fracking since the 1990s has used greater volumes of cocktail-laden water, injected at higher pressures. The fracking cocktail includes acids, detergents and poisons that are not regulated by federal laws but can be problematic if they seep into drinking water. Starting in the 1940s, oil and gas drilling companies began fracking rock by pumping pressurized water into it. Early drillers sometimes detonated small explosions in the wells to increase flow. To increase the flow of released gas, the rocks can be broken apart, or fractured. This gas is released, and can be captured at the surface for our use, when the rocks in which it is trapped are drilled. Many sandstones, limestones and shales far below ground contain natural gas, which was formed as dead organisms in the rock decomposed. What exactly is fracking, or more formally hydraulic fracturing? And because fracking allows us to put a previously inaccessible reservoir of carbon from beneath our feet into the atmosphere, it also contributes to global climate change.īut as we assess the pros and cons, decisions should be based on existing empirical evidence and fracking should be evaluated relative to other available energy sources. There is no doubt that natural gas extraction does sometimes have negative consequences for the local environment in which it takes place, as does all fossil fuel extraction. ![]() Even the Rolling Stones have weighed in with a reference to fracking in their new single, “Doom and Gloom.”ĭo the facts on fracking support this opposition? Opposition to fracking has entered popular culture with the release of “The Promised Land,” starring Matt Damon. ![]() Protesters are blocking potential drilling sites in Poland and England. France and Bulgaria, countries with the largest shale-gas reserves in Europe, have already banned fracking. OPPOSITION to fracking has been considerable, if not unanimous, in the global green community, and in Europe in particular. ![]()
1 Comment
7/22/2023 04:33:54 am
Your blog is an absolute gem! The content is insightful, well-researched, and beautifully presented. Thank you for sharing such valuable information with us!
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |