fracking in california 5

Fracking has proven to be a safe way to extract oil from well fields and shale oil fields. While its use of water has brought controversy, new studies are showing that fracking may help water conservation. In accordance to industry figures, the 830 California fracking wells used 323 acre-feet of water in 2013. California uses approximately 85 million acre-feet of water each year. 45% is under environmental law and habitat requirements. The other 40% is put aside for agricultural use. The final 10% for residential usage, and the remaining 5% allocated for industrial purposes. To put it in proportion, the amount of water fracking uses accounts for .0004% of water used in California. Meanwhile, recycling fracking water has become increasingly prominent. Anywhere from $70,000 to $300,000 is saved for every fracking well. The industry provides natural gas, jobs, a stable economy, and energy independence for years to come.

This article displays some of the benefits of fracking. However, fracking is not devoid of negative consequences, and it is up to environmental scientists to determine how to improve this method of oil extraction. If fracking can be made more environmentally friendly, it could be a replacement for oil and coal.

Fracking Recycles During Drought. (n.d.). Forbes. Retrieved September 8, 2014, from<>

 http://www.forbes.com/sites/brighammccown/2014/08/18/fracking-recycles-during-drought/<>

 

fracking in california 4

On Tuesday, September 2, 2014, a new study showed how drilling natural gas from shale rock required large amounts of water. However, most of the world’s shale gas is found in places where water is already scarce. According to the World Resources Institute, “the amount of recoverable natural gas from shale formations would increase global reserves by nearly half.” This would boost the world economy enormously and would potentially reduce greenhouse gases, seeing as burning gas for energy is much more efficient than coal. Research has confirmed that 38% of shale resources worldwide are found in geographical regions that “are either arid or under high to extremely high levels of water stress.”

Spokeswoman Katie Brown of Energy in Depth, stated that, while water use in fracking is high, even in the most “prolific fracking states,” fracking accounts for only 1% of the states’ total water use. Others disagree. Senior water scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Jay Famiglietti, stated that this information was skewed because the majority of fracking is conducted in a localized area, it “uses nearly 100% of local water supply” and “its environmental impacts can be devastating.”

This article again displays the controversy regarding fracking. Different organizations try to prove their evidence on fracking is correct.

Furthermore, this article displays the potential positive environmental impacts from fracking. The potential positive impact on energy consumption makes environmental scientists’ jobs all the more important, because they need to research alternate ways to extract oil without contaminating or consuming too much water.

 

O’Connor, L. (2014, April 24). California City Becomes First To Vote To Ban Fracking. The             Huffington Post. Retrieved September 8, 2014, from<>

 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/24/beverly-hills-fracking-ban_n_5208377.html<>

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As of April 24, 2014, Beverly Hills became California’s first city to stop all oil drilling activity, including fracking. Councilmen Josh Mirsch explained that the issue needs to be evaluated on a long term basis, stating how injecting massive amounts of water and chemicals at high pressure into the Earth is extremely unsafe. Recent studies by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Geological Survey linked fracking to pollution and an increase in earthquakes. Governor Jerry Brown stated his approval and hope that other communities should follow their example. Despite the health concerns connected with fracking, the California Department of Conservation maintains that “hydraulic fracturing has been used as a product stimulation method for more than 30 years with no reported damage to the environment.”

This article demonstrates the controversy within state government involving fracking. On one end of the spectrum, government agencies prove the correlation of fracking with the unsafeness of water and air quality in California, while other agencies maintain their initial stance that fracking does not have an effect on the environment. Such controversy only heightens the importance for environmental scientists to accurately evaluate the impacts of fracking.

O’Connor, L. (2014, April 24). California City Becomes First To Vote To Ban Fracking. The             Huffington Post. Retrieved September 8, 2014, from <>

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/24/beverly-hills-fracking-ban_n_5208377.html<>

fracking in california 2

On July 19, 2014, California ordered an immediate shut-down of eleven oil and gas waste injection sites and began reviewing over a hundred other oil drilling sites in the Central Valley. Officials worried that companies were possibly pumping toxic fracking remnants into drinking aquifers. The issue begins with the fact that at least one hundred of California’s water aquifers were deemed useless because of bad water conditions. As a result, the government exempted their environmental protection and the oil industry began polluting them on purpose. Now, in accordance to the state, at least seven aquifers have been contaminated. Reports have indicated that state inspectors have often allowed injections in unsafe conditions. Now, according to state officials, further examination is inevitable.

This article signifies the importance of our water systems, particularly aquifers and other means of purifying water for safe drinking. It also highlights the necessity for proper state inspection of such prominent systems and shows the consequences when done incorrectly. The article states that there is no hard evidence of unsafe drinking water, however there were definitely toxic fracking fluids that inadvertently ended up in water wells.

Feldman, J. (2014, July 19). California Shuts Down Injection Of Fracking Waste To Protect             Scarce Water. The Huffington Post. Retrieved September 8, 2014, from

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/19/california-fracking-contamination_n_5600512.html

fracking in california

As of August 28, 2014, fracking is again legal in the state of California. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management decided to retract a federal ban issued in 2013, that prohibited fracking and other “enhanced drilling techniques” in California. The decision allows oil and gas leases for federal lands in California. The decision comes after studies have proven that methods of fracking in California are less detrimental to the environment than those of other states. While most fracking involves drilling oil and gas from rock through the injection of high-pressure water mixtures, sand and chemicals, California oil drilling often involves less water and a greater amount of chemicals. Despite these improved methods, The Center for Biological Diversity has stated their concern in the lack of research on the risks of fracking to the state and the general prematureness of the change.

This article is relevant to environmental science because it discusses the impacts of fracking. Even though there are improvements in technology and methods, fracking still requires large amounts of water, and energy. California is currently experiencing extreme drought, and any use of water – including fracking – strains its environment. Thus, it is important for environmental scientists to understand the consequences of fracking and other enhanced drilling techniques, and how these consequences affect the environment.

Feds to resume leasing for fracking in California. (n.d.). Washington Post. Retrieved September             7, 2014, from <>

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/feds-to-resume-leasing-for-fracking-in-california/2014/08/28/16fbbd52-2f00-11e4-be9e-60cc44c01e7f_story.html

New Regulations

California oil regulators released a new set of rules pertaining to the extraction of oil through fracking and other methods. The companies extracting the natural resources have to have a specific monitoring system during the process. They must also notify people living in the communities near the extraction sites, in Spanish and English, of their rights to get the ground water tested. These rules apply to fracking on land and in the ocean as well.

This process will ensure a safer procedure, and will inform the residents of what is happening around their homes and schools. The Center of Biological Diversity says the regulations do little to protect the environment, and more to inform the public of what is happening. The Western States Petroleum Association also says the regulations are a “transparency”, and make people think that change is being made.  

News, AP (2014, June 17) California releases revised fracking regulations. Retrieved September 7, 2014 from http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2014-06-17/california-releases-revised-fracking-regulations

The Rush to Provide Evidence

With the approval of the federal government, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will begin leasing public land for fracking early next year. The California Council on Science and Technology was in charge of conducting research, and they found did not find evidence of water contamination. Although the scientists were only given seven months to carry out their research, and are asking for the bill to be postponed until further experiments can take place.

Environmental groups understand that there are serious health issues cause by the chemicals used during fracking, and call for a moratorium until more evidence is presented. Even the scientists that preformed the experiments are hesitant to give statements and publish articles on the subject, more data is needed. The experiments also asked questions that could not be answered or proved. “Investigators could not determine the groundwater quality near many hydraulic fracturing operations and found that existing data was insufficient to evaluate the contamination”.

Julie, C. (2014, August 28) Fracking report clears way for California oil, gas leasing to resume. Retrieved September 7, 2014 from http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-fracking-report-20140829-story.html

 

Beverley Hills Sets an Example

The city of Beverley Hills has successfully banned fracking. The leaders of the city council do not believe that fracking is helping their area; it is just making the environment worse. Council member John Mirsch is looking at the long term affects, and does not believe that blasting water and sand into the ground below them and releasing dangerous chemicals is best for the environment. He also hopes that other cities and counties and eventually Governor Jerry Brown will follow in their beliefs and practices.

Environmentalists say there is not safe method for fracking. Also, the US Geological Survey say that there fracking is closely linked to the air and water pollution in California, and around the world. Fracking is also believed to be the cause of the resent increase of earthquakes. On the other hand the California Department of Conservation reports that fracking has been around for more than 30 years, and no problems have been reported.

Lydia, O. (2014, April 24) California City Becomes First To Vote To Ban Fracking. Retrieved September 7, 2014 from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/24/beverly-hills-fracking-ban_n_5208377.html

The Cost of Drilling

When fracking was just starting, oil companies offered California large sums of money to drill for natural gas. Now there is estimated less than 4% of recoverable oil in the Monterey Shale area. Governor Jerry Brown endorses fracking an other types of oil extraction such as acidification. In a recent poll in is reported that two-thirds of Californians are against fracking. Oil companies are proposing new, less toxic ways of extracting the fossil fuels.

Many of the large oil companies are drilling near schools and largely populated communities. New state laws a supposed to impose more strict guidelines on the oil industry, but neglect to mention rules about fracking and acidification. Fracking exploits fossil fuel reserves and releases large amounts of methane gas into the atmosphere, a dangerous greenhouse gas. Oil companies also have federal permission to dump 9 billion gallons of waste water a year, including fracking fluid, directly into the ocean off California’s coast.

Kassie, S. (2014, May 23). Busted Boom Challenges Gov. Brown to Halt California Fracking. Retrieved September 7, 2014 from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kassie-siegel/busted-boom-challenges-go_b_5377429.html

Corporate Accountability

 

unknown.(August 26, 2014). Verizon On Track to Be No. 1 Solar-Power Producer

Among U.S. Communications Companies, Environmental News Network:

Energy, Retrieved September 18, 2014, from

http://www.enn.com/business/article/47756

 

 

Telecommunications company, Verizon, is set up to become the industries leader in solar energy. With the installation of eight new solar power systems and eight of their facilities Verizon will install 10.2 megawatts of solar. This added on to the already impressive 15 megawatts of solar power will make them the national leader in their industry with 25 megawatts of green energy produced. To reach this point Verizon has already invested $140 in the project and will now be spending $40 million more to finish the project. With the completion of the new installations Verizon will be one of the top ten competitors for most solar energy produced.

 

It is important to remember that in our country the heavyweights in economic maters are the corporations and conglomerates. Without the assistance of these groups our nation will never be powered by green energy. That said it is rare, though as we see here it does happen, that large companies pay attention to the growing concern for environmental damage. The few times this does happen I think it is important that we recognize and reward the company for doing it so that other try to emulate their success and in turn aid in saving the environment. This is something that I think we all need to do personally when we see a company, or any group, doing something that we approve of.