Fracking’s rise in U.S. inspires the world

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/jan/24/frackings-rise-in-us-inspires-the-world/?page=all January 24, 2014

 The United States is clearly in the lead in terms of revolutionary drilling methods. There is now a trend of American drilling companies expanding to global energy markets. It seems that the rest of the world will soon catch up with the U.S., as more and more nations seek to copy American success in the natural gas and oil development. Poland is taking the lead in Europe, producing mass amounts of shale gas through the process of hydraulic fracturing. The largest producer of natural gas in South America is Argentina and they plan on adopting American methods of fracking, “the use of water, sand and chemicals to bread underground shale formations and release fuel.”

This is very related to environmental science because many countries are processing mass amounts of fossil fuels, the only difference is that the United States has pioneered the method of hydraulic fracturing by implementing horizontal drilling and various other advancements. While this process still takes a toll on the environment, it has caused several economic revivals in areas around the U.S. Even Saudi Arabia is going to reexamine their methods and implement American oil production practices. Even when done successfully, hydraulic fracturing poses several threats to the surrounding areas. There must be more policies against fracking and we must ban it in specific areas.

U.S. fracking giant goes to China

http://business.financialpost.com/2014/06/11/u-s-fracking-giant-goes-to-china/?__lsa=05a5-2a5a June 11, 2014

Some say that the United States has undergone a “shale revolution.” America has the most state-of-the-art fracking technology in the world and it is now being taken to China. China has very vast shale deposits. Last June, it was announced that a joint venture between Sinopec and FTS International are going to be the main fracking firms. This is the first time that a specialized hydraulic fracturing corporation from the United States has entered the Chinese market. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, China possesses the largest “technically recoverable shale resources in the world.”

This is an important topic and it is related to environmental science because China has the largest shale deposits in the world and it will possibly benefit Chinas economy but damage their environment. They are apparently has enough resources to facilitate the fracking but is it worth it given the negative effect to the environment. There are many endangered species in China, pollution is a huge issue and overpopulation is a whole other story. Fracking in China will deteriorate the habitats of many animals and contribute to the pollution problem.

Seeking Energy Independence, Europe Faces Heated Fracking Debate

http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2014/03/07/286816548/seeking-energy-independence-europe-faces-heated-fracking-debate March 7, 2014.

Fracking is a topic of wide debate in Europe, especially as the turmoil in the Ukraine unfolds. Many countries in Europe depend on natural gas pipelines that flow through the Ukraine.  Several countries are debating whether to drill for shale gas, as the United States has been doing for some years now. In Lancashire, England there have been mass protests against shale gas. These groups have been distributing pamphlets and holding public meetings about the subject even before the discord in Ukraine took place.

This subject is related to environmental science because if these countries in Europe decide to pursue fracking efforts, there may be a significant deterioration of the environment. Even when done successfully, hydraulic fracturing poses several threats to the surrounding areas. The most controversial is that chemicals from the process can leak into drinking water reservoirs or poison habitats. Many chemicals are involved in the process and people are also concerned about the competitiveness of the European countries.