Fracking Should Not Be Banned - 1270 Words

Energy production has been one of the most paramount forces that have influenced the actions of the United States as a country. Wars have been fought and treaties have been signed over the opportunity for oil. However, there has been a recent transition to cheaper and domestic energy sources of energy. Oklahoma has become a microcosm of these events that have occurred. With the discovery of natural gas reserves throughout the state, hydraulic fracturing has seen a boom in utilization. However, this has been largely detrimental for the state. Fracking should not be allowed in Oklahoma because of its environmental implications, its effect on Oklahoma’s future, and its impact on the people of Oklahoma. Fracking has become a massive business†¦show more content†¦The water creates pressures within the earth that cause cracks to form, which are then filled with even more water, which then returns to the surface, bringing the oil or natural gas with it (â€Å"EARTHWORKSâ₠¬ ). The water and fuel are then separated, and the water is disposed (â€Å"EARTHWORKS†). The fracking process has evolved a great deal, and other methods that do not use water have been invented, but this method remains the most popular (â€Å"EARTHWORKS†). Despite its innovations, fracking still causes more harm than good. Hydraulic fracturing has numerous negative effects on Oklahoma. A nearly unavoidable byproduct of fracking that cannot be ignored is the pollution that stems from it. During the fracking process, a portion of the methane produced, which is shown to trap heat twenty-five times more effectively than carbon dioxide, another common greenhouse gas, escapes into the atmosphere as it is brought to the surface (Hoffman). Studies conducted in Weld County, Colorado, which has a comparable number of fracking wells to many places in Oklahoma; show that this loose methane is the equivalent of the carbon emissions of nearly three million cars (Hoffman). Furthe rmore, fracking has been shown to release large amounts of nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide into the air, which are two of the main components of smog (Hoffman). Even in places such as