In the 2014 State of the Union address, President Barack Obama stated, “natural gas – if extracted safely, it’s the bridge fuel that can power our economy with less of the carbon pollution that causes climate change.” Replacing coal and petroleum with natural gas obtained by fracking now allows the US to achieve short-term and immediate reductions in greenhouse gases that cause climate change while alternative energies such as solar and wind are built into viable industries. Mark Little, President and Chief Executive for Suncor, explained, “The choice is not between fossil fuels and renewable energy, but rather, how do we accelerate the growth of renewables while reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the use of fossil fuels.” Pro 1 Natural gas is a necessary bridge fuel to get to 100% clean energy and eliminate coal and petroleum, and fracking is the best way to extract natural gas. Should the United States Continue Fracking? įracking was a hot-button issue during the US presidential race of 2020, with President Trump firmly in favor of fracking and Vice President Biden expressing more concern about the practice, especially on federal lands. 2021, California banned new fracking projects as of 2024. Most US states allow fracking, though four states have banned the practice as of Feb. About one million oil wells were fracked between 19, with about one third of the wells fracked after 2000. Spurred by increased financial investment and global oil prices, fracking picked up speed and favor. The 21st century brought two further innovations: horizontal drilling and slick water (a mix of water, sand, and chemicals) to increase fluid flow. In the 1940s, explosives were replaced by high-pressure liquids, beginning the era of hydraulic fracturing. The torpedo was then detonated, which increased oil flow. The idea of “shooting the well” was further developed by lowering a sort of torpedo into an oil well. During the Civil War at the Battle of Fredericksburg, Roberts noticed how artillery blasts affected channels of water. Roberts first developed a version of fracking in 1862. After that, fracking fluid is pumped into the well at an extremely high pressure so that it fractures the rock in a way that allows oil and gas to flow through the cracks to the surface. Then, a horizontal well is drilled in the layer of rock that contains natural gas. First, a vertical well is drilled and encased in steel or cement. 23, 2012įracking (hydraulic fracturing) is a method of extracting natural gas from deep underground via a drilling technique. A natural gas fracking well near Shreveport, Louisiana.ĭaniel Foster, “Natural Gas Fracking,” creative commons license, Dec.
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