A Fracking Mess: Is New Brunswick's Budding Natural
Gas
Industry Worth the Environmental Uncertainty?
By
Kyle Dupont
Red
Maple Foundation
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| In orange, you can see how much land the New Brunswick government is controlling with oil and gas licenses and leases. |
Summary
People
all over the world need to be educated about the dangerous impacts hydraulic fracturing
has on people and the environment. Hydraulic fracturing, also known as
fracking, is when water, sand, and other materials are pumped down and across
deep (10,000 feet) into the earth at a high pressure. This pressurized mixture causes
the rock layer to crack; these cracks are called fissures. The fissures are
held open by the sand particles so that natural gas can flow up. New Brunswick’s
government voted to move forward with responsible and regulated development of
natural gas. That same month, the EPA released a report about how hydraulic fracturing
is severely contaminating water quality at a site in Wyoming. Stephanie
Merrill, program coordinator for the Shale Gas Alert Campaign, educates the New
Brunswick citizens about the dangers of fracking. She says that there are
guaranteed negative effects that can harm water quality which can damage the
respiratory system. 400 New Brunswick people were surveyed, and the results
were the following: 45% in favor of natural gas exploration, 45% opposed, and
10% unsure what the government should do. However, the New Brunswick government
has already placed 71 oil and natural gas agreements, and companies are paying
more than $1 million annually to be fracking the land. The government predicts
to have reached $225 million once the fracturing wells are fully in place.
Opinion/Reflection
$225
million dollars!? That is a lot of money! Well then wait a minute, this is all
for the money. Hydraulic fracturing has so many negative effects, but money is
the stronger asset in this situation. I think the main reason hydraulic fracturing
occurs is because not many people know about the side effects it leaves;
fracking can harm water quality leaving it undrinkable, and people are
beginning to walk a few miles day just to get water. Our modern society should
not have to be dealing with this, which is why fracking is so bad to do! I will
admit, I did not know anything about what hydraulic fracturing was until this
year. It is important to educate those who do not know about hydraulic fracturing
because the more people who are against it, the more likely it will not take
place. I was shocked to find out that 45% of 400 people were in favor of this.
That was absolutely absurd; how can people see fracking as a good thing when
the negative impacts are so overpowering?! It was also shocking to me that 10%
did not know what to do. This is why more people need to be educated about the
topic so they can make a smart decision.
Questions:
1. Before reading this, how much did you already
know about hydraulic fracturing?
2. Why are governments for hydraulic fracturing? Do
you think they should be paying more attention to the people?
3. The New Brunswick government is continuing to “frack”
and getting millions of dollars in return. What other benefits are governments
getting by allowing hydraulic fracturing?
4. What are
some negative impacts to the environment
of hydraulic fracturing besides poor water quality?
Oh, boy, more fracking! This was an interesting one. I am as surprised as you are; 45% of the people were for it? How can that be? With the videos we watched in class, we observed that the negative side effects of fracking outweigh the payoff by a landslide. Fracking causes water problems and health problems. How can money pay to fix that? The answer is it can't. And the answer to why 45% of the people agreed with fracking must have been that they were uneducated at the time of the decision. I am glad we learned about it in class, because otherwise I would be unsure too. Now that I watched the video, and we learned about other negative side effects, I am absolutely against fracking. I certainly do not want any fracking near my community.
ReplyDeleteTo answer question 1: As I mentioned earlier, I was fortunate enough to know quite a bit. Environmental Science class prepared me for this article, and I understand the consequences of fracking.
To answer question 2: Governments are in favor of fracking because it creates jobs. People are constantly asking about unemployment, and why they are unable to get a job. With all these people looking to their representatives in the government to fix this unemployment problem, what else can the representatives do but feel a duty to allow a program that creates jobs. What needs to happen is a different method of creating jobs.
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ReplyDeleteI remember watching a video about hydraulic fracturing (fracking). It was very interesting and one I would recommend. I admit that I did not know anything about fracking, until High School. Environmental science class really prepared me for this article. I believe young people and adults should continue to be educated about this, since fracking has some negative effects. Fracking is a process used to safely recover natural gas from deep shale formations. A mix of water, sand and chemicals are pumped at high pressure, during his method, which causes the rock layer to break. These fissures are held by sand particles so natural gas from the shale can flow up the well. I think this system is cool and who ever thought of this must have been very intelligent. Land destruction is necessary in order to construct a well, which means many forests would have to be cleared, ruining the environment. How sad! The recovered water should then be taken to a treatment plant, but that is not always done. The New Brunswick government has agreed to use this way to obtain natural gas. Fortunately, in the same month EPA published a report at a site in Wyoming about why hydraulic fracturing can be harmful to the quality of water. I am really glad they did because in many instances, tap water has known to become flammable because of fracking, making it undrinkable and dangerous. 400 people were surveyed in New Brunswick. 45% of the votes were in favor and opposed of hydraulic fracking. 10% were unsure of what the government should do which was shocking. The results were very strange, since two of the categories tied! However, New Brunswick government has already agreed to frack. I bet many people were disappointed. Companies are now paying more than one million dollars annually to frack land. I could not believe the government predicts to spend 225 million dollars once the wells are built. That is a lot of money! They can really progress with their plans, but they need to ensure that people and pets are safe and healthy, during the extract processes because it there was a spill many chemicals could leak out. People that have natural gas underneath their land may be forced to move or their property taxes or rates for rentals may increase. I think the oil and natural gas industries needs to work with concerned citizens, officials and policy makers to make sure that fracking is done and distributed responsibly.
ReplyDeleteTo answer your question:
http://www.hydraulicfracturing.com/Pages/information.aspx
Some governments like hydraulic fracturing for natural gas because it has several positive aspects. Natural gas is more efficient and cleaner burning than coal. Mining is more dangerous too. When burned, natural gas releases less carbon dioxide than coal and oil. Therefore, it can be used as a transitional fuel to begin conversion to a greener energy such as wind and solar energy. Using gas in cars rather than gasoline would be cheaper than oil, as well. Natural gas has the potential to reduce global greenhouse-gas emissions and help lessen global warming. If the gas is taxed and the money stays in the local economy, it can be improved. Jobs will start to increase, helping our country. Property and rental value will also start to rise. Farmers will start to be paid for leases on their land, if gas was extracted from there. Owners of the properties will be able to ask for more money due to housing needed for drilling crews. Hydraulic Fracturing is a way the government can pay more attention to the people. It is an opportunity many look forward to, but there are some concerns with this potential energy source.