Leahy, D (2015, February 5). Fracking-induced earthquake puts B.C. gas bonanza on shaky ground. Retrieved on March 1, 2015. From http://www.vancouverobserver.com/news/ fracking-induced-earthquake-puts-bc-gas-bonanza-shaky-ground

Recently the small town of Fox Creek of northern Alberta experienced the largest earthquake caused by hydraulic fracking, it was a 4.4. it used to be that if a fracking site pumped less than 100,000 cubic meters every month, then there would be no earthquakes. But as time goes on more and more fracking wells have been constructed and the limit of water pumped into a well has gone down.

Many people do not understand that what they are doing in directly causing the earthquakes. Denis Lavoie, research scientist with the Geological Survey of Canada (GSC), travels the country giving speeches in an attempt to bring attention to this important and urgent subject. He predicts that these earthquakes will only increase, they have not yet reach the maximum damage that could be caused on the surface, Lavoie hopes to stop the fracking before the limit is reached.

Rico, L (2014,December 14). Latin American Environmentalists Call For End To Fracking. Retrieved on March 1, 2015. from http://latindispatch.com/2014/12/12/latin-american-environmentalists-call-for-end-to-fracking/

At the United Nations summit on climate change in Lima, Peru, many Latin American Nations banded together to look for an end to fracking. Countries like Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia and Colombia all had representatives present and protesting the fracking policies. Latin America is said to have the world’s largest deposit of shale and natural gas, but so far the only country to start fracking is Argentina.

Mexico has the sixth largest shale reserve and until recently the debate over fracking was no-existent. Recently the president of Mexico Enrique Peña Nieto terminated the monopoly over oil that was held by the Pamex Company. This may lead Mexico to search for new sources of energy and eventually fracking.

Reuters, C (2015,March 1). Bells toll for Europe’s largest gas field. Retrieved on March 1,  2015. from http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/business/bells-toll-for-europe-s-l/1688000.html

Netherland’s biggest gas field, Groningen, has been in continuous production sice 1963. The neighboring town of Westerwijtwerd is home to many historical building and artifacts, like the 13th-century Maria Church. Ever since 2000 this bigger and bigger cracks in the old church’s walls have been growing, along with the number and frequency of earthquakes.

Before the year 2000 this area of Netherlands had never experienced an earthquake before, the bells were only used to signal a coming flood, now the inhabitants must prepare for wither of the two natural disasters. Geologists are extremely confident that this spike in earthquakes is linked to the increase in fracking; many do not think that the builds can withstand much more trauma.

Bond, P. (2015, Feburary 23). South Africa: Renewable energy or irradiation and gas fracking? Retrieved on March 1, 2015 from http://links.org.au/node/4300

South Africa’s newly elected president, Jacob Zuma, recently gave a speech in Parliament about the country’s current energy issues. South Africa looks to finish the construction of their three nuclear plants in the near future, but in the meantime he is allowing Shell and ExxonMobil to drill the shale reserves just off the coast in the sensitive Karoo region. Shell just recently paid Nigeria $5 billion for an oil spill.

This fracking encouragement will only worsen the state of South Africa. Their Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party was kicked out during President Zima’s most recent State of the Nation Address, they were questioning the president’s environmental policy and were quickly escorted without the public knowing. The president is not smart with his money and just recently spent $20 million to redo his mansion, he will most likely do anything to advance his and South Africa’s wealth, even if that means gambling with oil companies.

Rogan, T. (2015,Feburary 3). Russia’s War on Fracking. Retrieved on March 1, 2015 from http://www.nationalreview.com/article/397755/russias-war-fracking-tom-rogan.

Over the past few months fracking in Russia has become a heated debate. However, using natural gas instead of oil would hurt the Russian economy because oil is one of their biggest exports. Putin has been funneling money to anti-fracking environmental groups, spying of America’s alternative energy research, and pushing anti-fracking propaganda. And fracking restrictions in Europe are becoming more and more strict.

Putin has his own agenda, however he is also helping the environmentalists in the US fight their battle. Putting does not care much for the environment, he is completely motivated by the money being brought into Russia. This may be all a conspiracy, but there is evidence to support that Russia is looking to the past for ideas. After the Cold War in the 1980’s Russia successfully launched a campaign that painted the US as the manufacturer of AIDS, there is little to stop them from doing this again.

Tully, A. 2014, November 19). By Buying Baker Hughes, Halliburton Aims To Dominate US Fracking. Retrieved on November 23, 2014 from http://www.nasdaq.com/article/by-buying-baker-hughes-halliburton-aims-to-dominate-us-fracking-cm415296.

The price of crude oil has been recently declining while the cost of extracting it had been rising. This prompted Halliburton to purchase Baker Hughes for about thirty five billion dollars. With this purchase Halliburton is now the leading company in hydraulic fracturing in North America, and has surpassed Schlumberger Ltd. This transaction also gave Halliburton access to more drills and chemicals, which the company was in great need of.

America is in the beginning stages of moving away from reliance on oil and natural gasses for energy. Many companies are realizing this and taking themselves out of the markets, or selling, like Baker Hughes did, before it is too late. The oil industry, like many other industries in America, has become a monopoly with only a few very powerful countries at the top.

Parkinson, G. (2014, November 19). Why US fracking is biggest red herring in history of oil. Retrieved on November 23, 2014 from http://reneweconomy.com.au/2014/why-us-fracking-is-biggest-red-herring-in-history-of-oil-86979.

Jeremy Grantham, an investigator from Boston, has published his new findings on the impact fracking has on the economy. He says that there is little being done about the leaking of methane, and that methane is over 86 times more potent than a greenhouse gas. Grantham further states that the extraction of oil and natural gas has done very little to improve the economy in the US. The amount of oil produced by the US is minimal in comparison to Middle Eastern countries.

Many of the areas in the US that are being drilled for oil and natural gas are usually not in production very long. The average time spent drilling one area for oil is about two and a half years. All this planning and preparation is being wasted on an energy source that is going out of style, as America begins to lean toward solar energy and alternate energy sources in the future.

Neuhauser, A. (2014, October 30). Toxic Chemicals, Carcinogens Skyrocket Near Fracking Sites. Retrieved on November 23, 2014 from http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2014 /10/30/toxic-chemicals-and-carcinogens-skyrocket-near-fracking-sites-study-says.

Dr. David Carpenter, director of the Institute for Health and the Environment at the University at Albany-State University of New York, has published an article studying the effects of fracking on humans. Poisonous chemicals were found near wells and fracking sites in Arkansas, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Wyoming at levels that greatly exceeded recommended federal limits. Benzene and formaldehyde are chemicals that were the most common at these sites, and have also been linked to cancer.

There is a law known as the “Halliburton loophole”, which exempts all companies preforming oils and natural gas extraction from federal laws if they monitor and disclose the chemicals involved in the process. This defeats the whole purpose of having law to protect people. This law says that if you tell us what you are doing you can do it, even if it is harmful to the environment and people surrounding the area.

McAllister, E. (2014, November 7). U.S. fracking firms stay in top gear despite oil price slump Retrieved on November 23, 2014 from http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/07/us-oil-prices-fracking-analysis-idUSKBN0IR0EB20141107.

Companies like Hi Crush provide the materials like sand and powder-like gum for fracking purposes. Both of these products are used in what is known as “completion” of an oil well, which occurs after drilling and during fracking to keep tiny fractures open in shale rock to allow oil to escape. Over the past couple of months companies like Hi Crush have seen their stocks dropping, although they have recently signed long term contracts with major oil companies and predict a brighter future for themselves.

This article foreshadows the fracking and oil boom the US will soon face. Companies are gearing up for a major oil season in the future. However, a fall in prices could lead to the down fall of these major companies. There are some oil wells that have been drilled but the extracting process has yet to begin. It is said that on average oil wells are only in operation for a few months at a time until all the oil is used up. This recent push by oil companies could further worsen the hazardous chemical debate the US is facing.

Gabriel, T. (2014, November 18). In Compromise Plan, Limited Fracking Is Approved for National Forest in Virginia. Retrieved on November 23, 2014 from http://www.nytimes.com /2014/11/19/us/us-backs-limited-use-of-oil-drilling-technique-in-national-forest-compromise.html?_r=0

In Charlottesville, Virginia in the George Washington National Forest fracking is being aloud. This compromise only allows the drilling companies to frack or drill on 10,000 acres of the land, roughly 10% of the forest. Since this land is a National Forest, not a National Park industrial development is welcomed but cautiously monitored. Both activists and members of large oil companies were in agreement of this compromise, and felt that it was a victory.

This National Forest is dangerously close to the Marcellus Shale formation, where there has been a great amount of drilling previous to this compromise. Also, the streams and rivers in the George Washington National Forest provide drinking water for over three million people. An oil spill or contamination of the water could prove to be fatal to those in the surrounding areas.