The “Fracking” process is becoming very popular with oil and
gas companies, and we are probably going to see even more of it here in Texas
soon. This is because Texas Legislation
is in the works to help streamline the process that requires companies to get a
permit before being allowed to use fracking.
If you don’t know what fracking is, it’s the latest and greatest way to
poison your drinking water! Although, oil and gas companies will tell you it’s
a technological breakthrough in drilling techniques to extract oil and gas from
the ground. There’s a lot of evidence
out there that shows there are a lot of negative after effects of fracking on
the environment. The biggest concern is
the contamination of drinking water.
Currently, there
are no laws that govern fracking as it pertains to the safety of drinking
water, but the new legislation is supposed to change that. “Under the agreement, companies submit their
fracking practices to an independent review. If a company is found to be using
recycled water in most of its fracking operations, limiting the amount of gas
it flares and taking other steps to reduce air and water pollution, it receives
certification for having met the agreement’s environmental standards”(TheStatesman). Some of the problems I see
with this are that the permits will be given to an independent company for
review instead of a government agency.
This could lead to corruption.
Not to say our government isn’t capable of corruption, but I feel there
would be stricter regulations if the process were to go through the
government. Second, it destroys all the
headway made by environmental agencies that are trying to get rid of this
process. The only reason Texas allows
fracking is because it brings in revenue.
Oil companies like Shell and Chevron are trying to market this process
as being safe for the environment, but I can’t see how pumping out tons of
chemicals into the ground can be good to the environment.
While this bill
looks to be a step in the right direction, it’s actually a step back. The bill does put some regulations in place
that will help protect our drinking water, but the best policy to protect our
drinking water and the environment would not to allow Fracking at all.
Some of the other
concerns fracking brings are the effects it will have on small towns, and the amount
of water the fracking process takes. If
you would like to read more about this, you can find it on the Statesman
website.
2 comments:
One of my colleagues posted a commentary on their blog titled, "This is Fracking Ridiculous." The basis for the article is the use of induced hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in Texas, and the role of the Texas legislature to streamline the permit acquisition process.
The author effectively and clearly conveys their message to the reader. This message being the author's disapproval of the fracking process and the standards under which fracking is governed. The author quickly gets to the point and lines up the material quite well. They touch upon all the important pieces of the fracking story which helps guide the reader and the author's purpose. That purpose is to make the reader aware of the effects legislation is having on the behind the scenes process of fracking. My favorite part of the commentary is where the author writes, "If you don’t know what fracking is, it’s the latest and greatest way to poison your drinking water!" To me, this statement signifies a powerful and unwavering opinion on the topic of fracking. I would rather read a strong opinionated piece, than a soft, halfhearted attempt to convince the reader of something the writer is not passionate or convinced about themselves.
The author states, "I can’t see how pumping out tons of chemicals into the ground can be good to the environment." In this section the author's thought and statement are clearly stated. To have a more influential and persuasive effect on the reader, why not remove the word "tons" and replace it with a number. Tell the reader just how much chemical and what types are being used. As a reader in search of information I would like to know through your article how much damage is being caused by fracking. How much damage is being done to the environment while potentially being overlooked by the legislature, for the almighty dollar? I understand this is a short essay and it's impossible to explain the entire process within the confines of 250-500 words, but providing a solid statistic can further open the reader's eyes to the extent of damage being caused by fracking.
Overall, "This is Fracking Ridiculous" is a well written and effective commentary. I really enjoyed the read, and learned something along the way. Not only did I enjoy my colleagues article, but I also agree with their opinion on the subject in almost all aspects.
Forest at Longhorn Politics brings up the issue of "fracking" which has become a crucial topic lately. What is it and why has it become such a big deal recently? Fracking is the cornerstone of America's push for energy independence. Most politicians, including Obama, have given oil and gas industries full endorsement to carry out these new drilling techniques with little restriction. Energy independence has been an elusive goal for the United States ever since the oil embargo in the 70s. Now with that goal within their reach law makers are pushing hard with little concern for the long term consequences. Namely the environment and as Forest mentions our drinking water. Many of the techniques used to crack the shale layer use toxic chemicals that leech into the groundwater. Once in our drinking supply these chemicals are almost impossible to filter out. Not to mention, Texas is in short supply of fresh water these days. Our water supply is going to be an important election issue for the coming decades. I don't see how our local politicians can afford to look the other way but it seems like that's exactly what they're are doing.
Texas with its large reserves of oil will no doubt be a key player in the fracking game. One of the issues Forest brings up is corruption. He has a good point considering that the Texas Lege heavily favors deregulating the energy industry. Lack of regulation is one of the main reasons why Texas ranks among the highest in the nation regarding pollution. I'm also certain that special interests groups will bombard us with plenty of disinformation regarding the safety of fracking. And considering the amount of money that goes into the energy industry these will be some of the best financed groups around.
I would also like to add that some analysts have argued that driving down oil prices will lead to more unrest in already unstable regions. Regions that depend on the supply of oil and the United State's military protection for stability. Which means the US will most likely increase its efforts to stabilize these regions. Will fracking be the key to our survival or downfall? With the New York Times claiming that the "United States is on track to overtake Saudi Arabia as the world's largest oil producer as early as 2017," it is clear that fracking isn't going away anytime soon.
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