The Effects Of Hydraulic Fracking

Superior Essays
I am originally from a small rural community in Ohio which has poor regulation on the air and water quality which humans depend on to sustain life.
Throughout the city, hydraulic fracking has become a common method to obtain energy. This method of obtaining energy is misconceptualized to be a cleaner alternative to oil and coal, however, with a first hand on experience with living in this area allows me to witness otherwise. This city is known as Youngstown, Ohio.
Hydraulic fracking is a process in which metal pipes are drilled miles deep into the ground. This method requires millions of gallons of water and chemicals which are injected into down the pipe thus causing rock layers called shale to break eventually releasing natural gas.
Are you someone who depends on cars to go places, cell phone to text and call, as well as someone who relies on other materialistic technologies? Well, all these require a form of input energy to carry out our daily functions. There is often common misconceptions about hydraulic fracking as an alternative resource to burning fossil fuels. When it comes to providing for our human demands, people do not take into account of the effects hydraulic fracking has on both the environment and economy. As we develop as a nation, the need for energy continuously rises and we must consider their finite amounts and effects. The government should take more action to regulate hydraulic fracking due to the harm done on the local economy level, effects on humans, as well as its finite amounts of water and natural gas available. The utilization of hydraulic fracking poses threats on the local economy level. According to the Stanford Law Journal, Joel Minor, an environmental law clerk emphasizes the fact that, “Trucks carry thousands of pounds of water and chemicals, which are necessary for transportation to fracking sites and how they have been found to damage roads similarly to a car traveling 3.5 million miles”(Katrien 88). With the destruction of roads, it is necessary to constantly repair them with taxes which come from local taxpayers. The people need to be aware that this creates an increase in state tax for the people. Also, with the obstruction of roads due to damage and potholes, commuters traveling to work will not be able to go into the work force which decreases company 's rate of production. In turn, all companies outputs will decline because business and households depend on one another in order for the economy to flourish. Therefore, by not regulating the amount of water and elements trucks are able to carry, will lead to these constant fixtures. Not only do the companies suffer, but workers are unable to get paid because of their inability to go to work. The quandary workers face to go to work as a result of hydraulic fracking is analogous to children in school. If there is a child who gets sick and does not attend school,
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Both being green house gases, carbon dioxide and methane trap in heat to allow our earth to have moderate climates. With the excess amount of methane, however, this will cause climate change and the melting of Greenland and Iceland which will cause sea levels to rise. This creates a chain reaction because if the environment is under water, there is no chance for life to be sustained. Despite the fact that people may argue that there is no correlation between the environment and economic benefits from fracking, they are interdependent and symbiotic meaning that just as households and businesses depend on one another to keep the economy going, the environment needs to exist for people to live and if we keep treating the place we call home in an unethical manner there will not be a place for the future generation.
Lastly, when discussing the negative externalities of fracking, there are clearly the need for federal regulations on the fracking process which proves there needs to be a focus on a shift in demand to protect the doctrine of public trust. The doctrine of public trust is the communal resources people share such as the air and water. This doctrine needs to be maintained because the resources on the earth are communal meaning they are shared by the whole public and if these are polluted, the whole population will be affected

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