Directions: Read the information and consider the associated questions, as you will need to explain your answers. What is “fracking”? Hydraulic fracturing or “fracking” is a process by which natural gas and oil are extracted from bed rock by opening and widening fractures below the earth’s surface by injecting a mixture of water, chemicals, and silica sand at high pressure into drilled wells in the earth. Though the procedure has been around since the late 1940’s, it is only recently that modern drilling techniques have made this process an economical method to harvest these resources. The recent more widespread use of this technique, along with the use of natural gas deposits in the United States, has led to increased awareness of fracking. There are a number of benefits associated with hydraulic fracturing. These include: Providing energy to meet the needs of the U.S. population. Natural gas is one of the most widely used fuel sources in this country, and accounts for roughly 25% of the nation’s fuel sources. Thanks to modern fracking techniques, this resource is much more widely available, and we now have enough fuel for nearly 100 years without importing any natural gas, reducing our dependence on foreign fuel imports. Providing cleaner burning fuel. Natural gas that is extracted through the use of hydraulic fracturing is a cleaner-burning fuel than either coal or petroleum, resulting in fewer emissions of pollutants and CO2. This means that there are fewer greenhouse gases put into the air. Also, hydraulic fracturing requires fewer drilling sites and wells than other methods, meaning that less area is needed to remove natural gas from the environment. Cheaper fuel and plenty of jobs. Due to the fact that modern fracking techniques have made it possible to efficiently extract more natural gas product domestically, the cost of natural gas has decreased. This savings has been passed onto the consumer, meaning people pay less for energy. In addition, the hydraulic fracturing industry has created thousands of jobs, contributing to local and national economies. 1. If you had only the information above, would you support fracking? Why or why not? 2. In what ways did the the.News clip support the information in this handout? 3. In what ways did the the.News clip not support the information in this handout? Handout 1B: Dangers of Hydraulic Fracturing
Directions: Read the information and consider the associated questions, as you will need to explain your answers. What is “fracking”? Hydraulic fracturing or “fracking” is a process by which natural gas and oil are extracted from bed rock by opening and widening fractures below the earth’s surface by injecting a mixture of water, chemicals, and silica sand at high pressure into drilled wells in the earth. Though the procedure has been around since the late 1940’s, it is only recently that modern drilling techniques have made this process an economical method to harvest these resources. The recent more widespread use of this technique, along with the use of natural gas deposits in the United States, has led to increased awareness of fracking. There are a number of benefits associated with hydraulic fracturing. These include: Providing energy to meet the needs of the U.S. population. Natural gas is one of the most widely used fuel sources in this country, and accounts for roughly 25% of the nation’s fuel sources. Thanks to modern fracking techniques, this resource is much more widely available, and we now have enough fuel for nearly 100 years without importing any natural gas, reducing our dependence on foreign fuel imports. Providing cleaner burning fuel. Natural gas that is extracted through the use of hydraulic fracturing is a cleaner-burning fuel than either coal or petroleum, resulting in fewer emissions of pollutants and CO2. This means that there are fewer greenhouse gases put into the air. Also, hydraulic fracturing requires fewer drilling sites and wells than other methods, meaning that less area is needed to remove natural gas from the environment. Cheaper fuel and plenty of jobs. Due to the fact that modern fracking techniques have made it possible to efficiently extract more natural gas product domestically, the cost of natural gas has decreased. This savings has been passed onto the consumer, meaning people pay less for energy. In addition, the hydraulic fracturing industry has created thousands of jobs, contributing to local and national economies. 1. If you had only the information above, would you support fracking? Why or why not? 2. In what ways did the the.News clip support the information in this handout? 3. In what ways did the the.News clip not support the information in this handout? Handout 1B: Dangers of Hydraulic Fracturing
fracking_coal_ash_case_study.docx