Nonconventional Sources of Energy
Zach Robinson
December 1st, 2012
GLBS 101
Research Paper: Nonconventional sources of Oil and Gas
I chose an unorthodox global theme to research and learn more about, because much of society is clueless as to how we obtain some of our resources. I’ve always had an interest in the environment and how we as humans affect it. So it only makes sense that the topic I chose to discuss is nonconventional sources of oil and gas. The main two sources I wanted to better understand are Hydraulic Fracturing and Oil Sands. Some of these techniques for retrieving oil and gas are in effect presently and some are still being discussed as to whether or not they should be practiced. All in all, they are very controversial topics that bring about a lot of heated debate. My goal is to inform the reader and myself about some of the things that go on behind the curtains. I want to give insight to the processes of retrieving the oil and gas. I would also like to talk about the ethics of these practices. Of course, there are pros and cons to every situation. However, in this situation, I think the cons outweigh the pros. I will argue that although these nonconventional sources of oil and gas may seem necessary, they are wasteful and very destructive to the environment and should not be practiced. When I get into how these methods of retrieval work, the horrific side effects and dangers will be revealed. It will become clear that these are not sustainable practices. These nonconventional sources are slowly deteriorating the earth we live on and negatively impacting its inhabitants. We should be focusing more on the renewable sources of energy that will never run out rather than destroying our environment any further. Hydraulic Fracturing or Hydrofracking is a relatively new method of extracting natural gas. It has been around for more than 60 years and used in more than one million wells. Many believe this nonconventional source of natural gas is safe and great for
December 1st, 2012
GLBS 101
Research Paper: Nonconventional sources of Oil and Gas
I chose an unorthodox global theme to research and learn more about, because much of society is clueless as to how we obtain some of our resources. I’ve always had an interest in the environment and how we as humans affect it. So it only makes sense that the topic I chose to discuss is nonconventional sources of oil and gas. The main two sources I wanted to better understand are Hydraulic Fracturing and Oil Sands. Some of these techniques for retrieving oil and gas are in effect presently and some are still being discussed as to whether or not they should be practiced. All in all, they are very controversial topics that bring about a lot of heated debate. My goal is to inform the reader and myself about some of the things that go on behind the curtains. I want to give insight to the processes of retrieving the oil and gas. I would also like to talk about the ethics of these practices. Of course, there are pros and cons to every situation. However, in this situation, I think the cons outweigh the pros. I will argue that although these nonconventional sources of oil and gas may seem necessary, they are wasteful and very destructive to the environment and should not be practiced. When I get into how these methods of retrieval work, the horrific side effects and dangers will be revealed. It will become clear that these are not sustainable practices. These nonconventional sources are slowly deteriorating the earth we live on and negatively impacting its inhabitants. We should be focusing more on the renewable sources of energy that will never run out rather than destroying our environment any further. Hydraulic Fracturing or Hydrofracking is a relatively new method of extracting natural gas. It has been around for more than 60 years and used in more than one million wells. Many believe this nonconventional source of natural gas is safe and great for