Do the Benefits of Fracking Outweigh the Environmental Risks?

For years, Americans have dreamed of a time when the United States would be energy independent—free from the influence of international organizations, such as OPEC, that control the world’s energy supply. Enter hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” an extraction process that enables us to access massive reserves of natural gas that up until now have been inaccessible. Fracking is a drilling technology that uses fluids pumped under pressure to fracture shale rock as far as a mile or more beneath Earth’s surface and release natural gas. Proponents of fracking point out that not only has fracking been used safely for years in Canada and the United States, but it can also provide years of clean energy as well as reduce our dependence on foreign oil. Supporters also point out that since the fracking revolution began, natural gas prices have dropped nearly 47 percent.

Critics, however, have serious environmental concerns about fracturing layers of sedimentary rock in the Earth’s crust. For example, shale beds typically exist far below the level of ground water, and the toxic chemicals used in fracking pollute the water supply. In fact, residents in some communities near drill sites have reported that methane and other chemicals have contaminated their drinking water. Some critics have even suggested that excessive fracking could inadvertently cause earthquakes. Those who share these concerns see fracking as a textbook example of corporate greed gone wild, of short-term thinking eclipsing reason in a misguided effort to satisfy our nation’s insatiable demand for energy.

Later in this chapter, you will read essays that address the pros and cons of fracking, and you will be asked to write an evaluation argument that takes a position on this topic. What do you think? Do the benefits of fracking outweigh the environmental risks?