Contradictions In Using Water For Fracking

By Iva Cannon


Earth is surely a planet that is suitable for living in. Not only is the air safe for inhalation. The planet is also rich with natural elements needed by people to improve their lives. Natural gas is one of these substances. Through using this, the industries can decrease the need for coal which is a major pollutant. Coal is known to be the main substance of the manufacturing of electricity.

According to the experts, there are still many uses for natural gas that still needs to be explored. And because of this, there is a need for it as well. However, useful as it maybe, it is also hard to come by. It is buried in some of the deepest formation underground which also makes it hard to extract. There are several others making use of different methods. Out of all these processes, water for fracking seems to yield the most favorable results.

Fracking is a method used to fracture the rock and soil formations underneath. The process makes use of immense amounts of water for this to happen. And then a pipe is drilled so that there would be a perfect path for the liquid. Pressure is then applied to create cracks. This has been viewed as the most efficient way of extracting oil and gases.

Although it is deemed to be the perfect process for the job, there are still issues regarding the usage of this procedure. First, there is the debate of making use of fresh water for the process. For the process to be successful, there is a need for many gallons of water that should be carried to the site by huge tankers. The amount of liquid being used is more compared to the amount of gas that can be extracted.

Fresh water is just a small part of the water percentage all over the world. And if it is used for this process. Their is no telling when it will eventually run out. It can affect all of the living things residing on fresh waters. This might not have a direct effect to human living but it will still have effects nonetheless.

The liquid is used to make a certain substances. Chemicals and other substances are mixed with it to ensure that the process will guarantee an opening for the pipe to suck out the trapped gas. The chemicals being used are said to be very harmful as well. But there is a need for the industries to make use of this if they are to finish the process faster as well.

Heavy machinery is also used for the drilling procedure. And these machines are usually powered by diesel. The amount of diesel being used can also match that of water. The only difference between the two of them is the chemical gases being emitted by diesel when it is burned. All of these will contribute to the increase of the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Another point being debated on is the possibility of leaks in the pipes. Natural gases are buried deeply on the ground that the pipes being used have to be connected to one another. There have been previous incidents when leaks have happened. And it ended up with negative consequences.

Many people keep on questioning if the process is really worth all the risks. It is true that the substance being extracted is very useful, however, there are also a lot of things being sacrificed and several aspects are already overlooked. It is time to find alternatives for this.




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