Fracking is a very controversial topic. Fracking for oil effects the environment.  Most of the ways it affects the environment are negative, not positive. It is believed by some that fracking affects water supply’s, causes minor earth quakes, and uses to many irreplaceable natural resources.  First i will explain what fracking is, then its effects on the environment.

Fracking is the process of using water that is filled with sand and chemicals at a high pressure to open mineral formations. When done, gas that was unusable before can be used for future projects. The process of fracking started in the 1940’s when crude oil and gasoline had been injected into poorly performing wells. Since then, fracking has been used by many people all around the world. Modern day fracking uses mainly fresh water mixed with fine grain sand and chemicals such as anti-corrosion agents, friction reducers, gelling agents, and borehole cleaning agents.

Fracking has affected the environment. Fracking uses approximately two million to five million gallons of fresh water per frack job. This is usually extracted from nearby lakes, rivers, ponds, etc. After fracking, the water is either stored and used again, or sent to treatment plants then released back into the Earth. Areas near where fracking is used have reported minor earth tremors. They believe that the cause of this is because of fracking. Seismology stations have recorded earthquakes up to 4.0 or higher as a cause of fracking.

In conclusion, fracking is a very controversial topic. It has a long history and is believed to cause negative effects on the environment. However some argue that it is not damaging and is a positive method of removing unreachable resources.

Will the government create more strict laws on fracking?

Will fracking in North Dakota lead to more Earth tremors?

Is there a better way to extract precious fossil fuels from the Earth?