Environmental Effects Of Fracking Essay
Controversy: The Environmental and Political Effects of Fracking
Audrey M. Saxton, PP, PLS
The Controversy
Do the economic benefits of fracking outweigh the risks to the environment?
The Players
In favor of fracking are oil/natural gas companies and utilities, particularly
Drilling/Natural Gas Companies: Hundreds of private and publicly-held American and international oil/natural gas companies, led by the likes of oil giants BP, Chevron and ConocoPhillips, make substantial profits as a result of natural gas sales made possible by the process of fracking and gas production from underground shale gas fields. These companies stand to lose money if government restrictions impose on their drilling efforts; therefore, efforts by these companies to silence opposition to drilling are perpetuated through extensive lobbying activities.
The Scientific Research Community: A number of organizations, such as the Center for Biological Diversity, the National Academy of Sciences, and the Pacific Institute, seek to educate and inform regarding the science involved in the continuing debate over the environmental effects of fracking. The scientific community is traditionally looked at as taking a neutral role in policy-making, however in this debate, many scientific reports are being treated by fracking opponents as …show more content…
Government: Agencies of the U.S. government, including the U.S. Department of Interior’s office of the U.S. Geological Survey (“USGS”) and the Department of Energy’s Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”), are charged with protection of the American environment, overseeing and regulating the nation’s natural resources and waterways and enforcing policies against pollution and potential harm to public and private lands. The government, balancing meeting the energy needs of the American consumer and the pressures to protect the environment, plays an instrumental role in determining the extent of drilling that will be allowed by commercial
Audrey M. Saxton, PP, PLS
The Controversy
Do the economic benefits of fracking outweigh the risks to the environment?
The Players
In favor of fracking are oil/natural gas companies and utilities, particularly
Drilling/Natural Gas Companies: Hundreds of private and publicly-held American and international oil/natural gas companies, led by the likes of oil giants BP, Chevron and ConocoPhillips, make substantial profits as a result of natural gas sales made possible by the process of fracking and gas production from underground shale gas fields. These companies stand to lose money if government restrictions impose on their drilling efforts; therefore, efforts by these companies to silence opposition to drilling are perpetuated through extensive lobbying activities.
The Scientific Research Community: A number of organizations, such as the Center for Biological Diversity, the National Academy of Sciences, and the Pacific Institute, seek to educate and inform regarding the science involved in the continuing debate over the environmental effects of fracking. The scientific community is traditionally looked at as taking a neutral role in policy-making, however in this debate, many scientific reports are being treated by fracking opponents as …show more content…
Government: Agencies of the U.S. government, including the U.S. Department of Interior’s office of the U.S. Geological Survey (“USGS”) and the Department of Energy’s Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”), are charged with protection of the American environment, overseeing and regulating the nation’s natural resources and waterways and enforcing policies against pollution and potential harm to public and private lands. The government, balancing meeting the energy needs of the American consumer and the pressures to protect the environment, plays an instrumental role in determining the extent of drilling that will be allowed by commercial