We began the film "Gasland" as an introduction to the fracking process.
Today's Globe and Mail headline reads that the natural gas industry could be worth an estimated $1 trillion dollars, rivalling the oilsands. The article fails to mention how those dollars will be distributed and who they will be distributed to, but does mention how many estimated person years of employment the gas industry will provide. This erupting success in the gas industry is largely due to the fracking process.
Article here:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/story/2012/12/17/business-natural-gas.html
You may reference the website or the film, Gasland, as a source but remember to be specific to the details of the film or website (i.e. which page the info is found on).
What is "fracking" ? Benefits/Downsides? Explain the connection betweent improvements in technology affect our environment and economy - and lastly the geopolitics (Canada/U.S./Far East).
Weekly post...
ReplyDeleteFracking is the process of extracting natural gas from shale layers deep within the earth. Horizontal and vertical drilling allows for the injection of highly pressurized fracking fluids into the shale layers, and creates new channels for natural gas to be released. The well is then cemented off to protect groundwater, and the natural gas is hydraulically fractured with other fracking fluids and water. (1) the pressure from these injections fractures the shale and opens fissures that allow the natural gas to flow out.
The downsides are obvious, as the natural gas is allowed to flow out through these fissures, it can spread to other places, besides the well.On the gasland website, in the facts section, there is a picture of the fracking process and it clearly shows how easily it can seep into the earth around it. The gas isn’t prevented from seeping into other areas, as its just gas flowing out of rock, and theres no real way to control it. Many people already know of these downsides, from spreading natural gas through seeping into the ground and the water contained there, but the fracking liquids are also a problem. On the facts page, for the gasland website it talks about the Halliburton Loophole which is “...the Bush/ Cheney Energy Bill exempted natural gas drilling from the Safe Drinking Water Act. It exempts companies from disclosing the chemicals used during hydraulic fracturing. Essentially, the provision took the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) off the job. It is now commonly referred to as the Halliburton Loophole.” The safe drinking act was passed by the american congress to protect their drinking water. In Canada we have similar problems, as Natural gas is one of our most profitable industry, and is therefore given many “free passes”. (2)
This article worries me, as obviously Canada's Natural gas industry was beginning to rise - which we talked about in class - but the articles only mentioned the positives. Yes we do need the jobs, and this will be great for the economy, but the effect it will have on our environment is concerning. Also, Canada seems to be travelling on a path that will lead us to total dependency on fuel. Oil sands and Natural gas are the future of our economy, but in the long run is it really such a good idea to be so dependent on such an iffy business. With the help of a statistics Canada analyst it was found that “...the dollar value of these three sectors has jumped an estimated 170 per cent in the last 10 years, to $163 billion from $60 billion in current dollar values — the steepest climb of any industry group.”(3) These three sectors are referring to Canada's oil, gas, and mining industries. What happens when we run out? Because we will run out, and the new technology allows for faster extraction, which means an earlier finish. What if we finally get our act together, as a whole world, and make a push for renewable energy? Though it seems very unlikely at the moment it could happen. Although right now its not really a question of if it will happen but when, as it has to happen for humans to survive. What i'll Canada do when our sole industry isn’t so profitable anymore?
Hopefully we won't just focus on developing our oil and Natural gas, and instead we’ll look for more alternatives to help sustain and grow our economy. Natural gas is obviously a good thing at the moment, but in the future our dependency on it may lead to many problems, both environmental and economical.
(1)http://www.what-is-fracking.com/
(2)http://www.gaslandthemovie.com/whats-fracking
(3)http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/10/16/canada-reliance-energy-mining_n_1968363.html
Weekly post:
ReplyDeleteFracking (short for hydraulic fracturing) is a drilling technique which involves injecting toxic chemicals, sand, and millions of gallons of water under high pressure directly into the ground to release natural gas in shale (a fissile rock composed of layers of claylike, fine-grained sediments) deposits. This mixture of toxins and sediment, along with any natural gas released, can leak to the surface and enter rivers and groundwater in the process (1). This is a technique used by different companies to extract natural gas and oil trapped between shale. When you first hear about fracking, you would think that it is a great way to get natural gas, which it is. However, we have found that although it is beneficial for companies, it is harmful for the environment as well as people and animals.
Even though fracking has a negative effect on the environment, it is still used today. If we know that it is a harmful thing to use, than why do companies still proceed to use it? The reason for that is because there are a couple advantages of it, which are mainly business wise. I read an article on www.energytomorrow.org and it was talking about what fracking has done in the United States. Fracking has been used in more than one million U.S. wells, and has safely produced more than seven billion barrels of oil and 600 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. shale development has irrefutable economic benefits. Hydraulic fracturing in the Marcellus and Barnett Shale has boosted local economies—generating royalty payments to property owners, providing tax revenues to the government and creating much-needed high-paying American jobs (2). Fracking is much cheaper, which is the main reason companies will do it. It also created thousands of jobs around the world where fracking was being used.
Unfortunately, there are many concerns about the safety of fracturing rock deep underground using a cocktail of toxic chemicals to get the job done, including toxic emissions that pollute the air, carcinogenic compounds released into the groundwater, possible spills that would impact the environment, wildlife and public health, and even earthquakes (3). As we know, there are toxic chemicals used when fracking that most people in the world have never heard of before. These chemicals pollute the air, they rise from the ground up, and eventually spread through the air, which we humans breathe in every second. That obviously cannot be good, these chemicals are detrimental and are strong enough to kill us as well as animals, not to mention it can also have an effect on the birth of a child. A lot of the food that we eat we get from animals (meat). This can even be worse because, not only are you breathing in these chemicals, but so are the animals, so when you are eating the meat, it can have these chemicals in them as well. During the process of fracking, carcinogenic compounds are released into the ground water. These are compounds that have the potential to cause cancer and other sicknesses. Although our water is filtered, we still aren't able to eliminate all of the bacteria or chemicals from the water, which is serious because every human needs water in order to survive. Possible spills can have a very strong impact on the environment. These animals can mistake it for regular drinking water, when it is far from it.
The Council of Canadians opposes fracking because of its high water use, its high carbon emissions, its impacts on human health, the disruption it causes to wildlife, and the danger it poses to groundwater and local drinking water (4). This is a good thing to see happening because, we know places in Canada have been introduced to fracking, and companies have been doing it here. My personal opinion on the topic of fracking, I think it is more harmful to everyone as a whole, than it is beneficial to a company. People's health, and the environment should be the most important thing, not making as much money you can by spending less money, and destroying the environment. Yes, it is giving us more natural gas, but the effects it has on the environment is deadly.
Delete(1)http://dontfrackwithny.com/what-is-fracking/
(2)http://energytomorrow.org/energy/hydraulic-fracturing/#/type/all
(3)http://www.justmeans.com/Fracking-Finance-Pros-Cons-of-New-Fossil-Fuel-Energy/55972.html
(4)http://canadians.org/water/issues/fracking/index.html
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis is my weekly post:
ReplyDeleteFracking is a technique that involves the injection of millions of litres of water and thousands of litres of unidentified chemicals underground at very high pressure. This creates fractures in the underlying shale rock formations and extract the natural gas below the surface. Canadians oppose fracking because of its extreme amounts of water usage, and as Malik said: high carbon emissions, impacts on human health, wildlife, and the danger it poses to local drinking water, etc.
Although there is much controversy about the pros and cons of fracking however, it does indeed reap some benefits. Such beneficial factors include the promise of jobs and wealth for a debt-ridden province. [1] In Pennsylvania's Susquehanna county, a region with terrain similar to that found in rural New Brunswick, shale gas helped boost the county's failing economy four years ago. [2] MIT’s Energy initiative study carried out by faculty, staff and students can reliably say:
- the environmental impacts of shale development are challenging but manageable, and;
- The fracking fluid is a proprietary slurry mixture consisting of no less than 98% water and sand. The remaining 2% or less includes 3–12 chemical additives most of which are commonly used with little or no health risks. Though several are classified as toxic or hazardous, only one – ethylene glycol can be harmful or fatal if swallowed.
On the other hand, the downsides are relevant. Very soon, there is going to be a shortage of clean water on the planet. Drinking water will soon become more valuable than oil OR natural gas. Humans have survived for thousands of years without either of these amenities. This being said we have never known humanity or life on this planet to survive without clean water.
Fracking also poses a Geopolitical “fault line” if you will. This shale gas revolution represents a “new cold war”, as nations are lining up either for or against the hydraulic fracturing techniques that are unlocking this massive energy resource. [3] So while Canadians are more opposed to the idea of fracking, places like Saudi Arabia look upon it as a transformation into plentiful sources of energy.
1) http://stateimpact.npr.org/pennsylvania/tag/fracking/
2)http://oilprice.com/Energy/Natural-Gas/The-Benefits-Of-Shale-Gas-Far-Outweigh-The-Negatives-Of-Fracking.html
3)http://timnovate.wordpress.com/2012/06/18/natural-gas-geopolitics-and-world-peace-toward-a-better-future/
This is my post for this week...
ReplyDeleteFracking (short for hydraulic fracturing) is the process which approximately 90% US oil and gas wells use for extraction. This process creates fractures that extend from a borehole into rock formations, which are typically maintained by a proppant (a material that will keep an induced hydraulic fracture open, during or following a fracturing treatment). The technique is used to increase or restore the rate which fluids can be produced from the formation. Fracking involves drilling thousands of feet below the earth's surface and pumping millions of gallons of water and chemical additives at high pressure into the well. Environmental activists are concerned that the potential dangers that could come from this process aren't worth the damage. They argue that Canada should be more focused on renewable energy, like solar, wind and biomass power(1). Although there are many cons, there are also benefits to the ongoing oil extraction. Over 24 years, it's estimated that 560,000 persons will gain employment in Ontario, 199,000 people in Quebec, 92, 400 people in Saskatchewan, and 39, 200 people in Manitoba(2).
(1); http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/10/fracking-pros-cons_n_1084147.html
(2); http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/story/2012/12/17/business-natural-gas.html
This is my weekly post:
ReplyDeleteFracking is a slang term for hydraulic fracturing. This term refers to the "procedure of creating fractures in rocks and rock formations by injecting fluid into cracks to force them further open." (1) The larger area insures more oil and gas will flow out and into a wellbore, from which it can then be extracted. This procedure has resulted in many oil companies attaining a state of economic safety because of the amount of oil that can be produced. (1) Some benefits of fracking are quite clear in the amount of oil that can be maintained. This number increases substantially when fracking is used. With the amount of resources our planet is now using it has become vital for the survival of our generation to get the oil in which is needed. (2) However, the process has been deemed too slow and that is where fracking is needed. Within the peak oil years of 1981 and 2001, Lone Star state which is the largest producer of oil in the United States, had a steady output of 75,000 B/d every year. Texas is now growing its rate of oil output by 35,000 B/d per month which will lead them to an annualized growth rate of 425,000 B/d per year. (3)
The downsides of fracking is quite apparent where ever you look throughout articles. Fracking is a new and unproven technology and with this cause serious risks to air and water quality. These risks are very prevalent because of the chemicals that are being pumped underground and the storage of waste water associated with this process. (4) Water contamination is already becoming a problem where this fracking process is occuring. In Pennsylvania there have already been issues with the contamination of their water supplies. (4)
There are people who could stand on either side of the debate on fracking and make valid points either way. However, in my opinion, the cost of our health is much greater than that of our lifestyle. Our lifestyle can change, however we cannot undo something if this process threatens us. Our world is already becoming a place where we must evolve and figure out new ways of doing things because we simply cannot survive off the old ways. I believe that we should try and return back to those old days when we once lived with the planet and not just on it. Our world will soon see its last days if nothing is soon yet done. With the abuse of our resources can only come bad things. The movement towards a more sustainable future is that in which needs to happen now or we might not soon have the time to change our ways. Our planet has a way to sustain itself however it is the humans in which cannot survive what mother nature throws our way. If something is not done soon about these issues and we keep moving forward to new ideas such as fracking, our world will soon see its demise.
References:
1. http://www.investopedia.com/terms/f/fracking.asp#axzz2HPtUNSOa
2. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/warning-oil-supplies-are-running-out-fast-1766585.html
3. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/energy-and-resources/for-oil-executives-the-fracking-revolution-raises-spectre-of-a-gas-flashback/article4347921/
4. http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/hassan-arif/fracking-new-brunswick_b_2231071.html
Fracking is the process of injecting water and chemicals into reservoirs to fracture rock and free up gas and oil. A major benefit to fracking is the amount of jobs the task provides. It also accounts for just under half of the country’s energy exports and is expected to double. So I guess it helps the economy as well. There are way more negative aspects towards fracking than there are positive, however. Critics say that the process of fracking can pollute our water, waste fresh water and poison our land. I think that as technology has progressed, our environment has become worse-off. We’ve invented high-speed polluting machines to drill the polluting substance out of the ground, only to have it received back into the earth as poison. Economy wise, however, fracking is very beneficial. With a trillion dollar worth and exports to many countries, it helps provide jobs and give people money. I think what would affect geo-politics would be accidental oil spills in a country different from the one which ordered their oil. I don’t think the Bahamas would be pleased if we polluted their shore line.
ReplyDeletehttp://ipsnorthamerica.net/news.php?idnews=3254