Fracking, or Hydraulic Fracturing is the process of pumping a high-pressured fluid (consisting out of water, sand, and other chemicals) into shale rocks to widen the fractures (Fracking). This releases the pockets of gas or petroleum inside the rock, and making them accessible to the human (Hyder, Joseph).
It was developed in the 1940’s, but, since it is very expensive, had it’s real boom in the last decades where gas prices were comparable high (Hyder, Joseph).
Now this all sounds very nice, but fracking is one of the most debated topics recently out of following reasons: It takes an immense amounts of water, it poses the …show more content…
Since the US is slowly running out of gas, fracking opens other doors. Using and selling this fracked gas pumps money into the country. But, although the prices are at an unbelievable low, even this can not be sustained. Fracking is a very expensive process, and the high gas prices of the last years made it a very good business, but now that they are that low, fracking stops to be attractive (Dimick, Dennis). This means, that the low prices are only temporary, they will balance out in a span of a few weeks/months, they have started to do so right now (nasdaq.com).
Basically, it is what was said earlier, fracking can not be sustained. Oil and gas prices aside, there is only so much to frack. At one point we will also run out of that resource. Here is where sources conflict, it ranges from a decline of production starting in 2020 (Dimick, Dennis), to a reserve that will last is 6 decades (What is Fracking?). So let's even say, that it will last us for half a century, that will put an end to fracking well within most students lifetimes, and then we are forced to search for