Monthly Archives: April 2014

Hydraulic fracturing, otherwise known as fracking, is a way to obtain natural gas in shale formations. Like other sources of energy, natural gas has its pros and cons. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, “responsible development of America’s shale gas resources offers important economic, energy security, and environmental benefits.”¹ The EPA believes that it can work with states and use regulation and research to ensure that natural gas extraction does not harm public health or the environment.¹ However, opponents to natural gas think that it is an unclean source of energy and furthers the dependence on nonrenewable fossil fuels.

Proponents for natural gas can point to its economic benefits. In the United States, natural gas has tremendously impacted energy markets; natural gas provides a quarter of all gas production and has lowered energy prices. ² Cheap gas has helped the economy in other ways by aiding the petrochemical industry as well as other energy-intensive businesses, by providing jobs, and by lowering electricity bills.² In addition, American shale gas significantly reduces America’s requirements for imported liquefied natural gas and eliminated the need for natural gas exports from Iran, a country that uses its control of energy resources to strengthen its political power.² Natural gas can also help both America and China to reduce their dependency on the Middle East for energy.²

Proponents for natural gas also point out that all forms of currently available means of energy production leave some environmental impact; thus one has to consider the relative availability, cost, and reliability of a energy source in conjunction with its environmental impact when making decisions about how to obtain energy.² Hydraulic fracturing is used to extract oil and gas, not just natural gas, thus the environmental impacts linked to hydraulic fracturing are not unique to natural gas.² Disposing of waste water, a major problem in natural gas production, is also a problem in almost every form of energy production.² Natural gas has environmental benefits compared to coal; natural gas production releases less carbon dioxide and mercury into the environment compared to coal production. ²

On the other hand, opponents to natural gas stress the environmental impacts of fracking. Fracking can pollute both the air and water. It requires large volumes of water, stressing surface water and ground water supplies.¹ In addition, fracking can cause contamination of underground sources of drinking water and surface water through spills or faulty well construction.¹ Natural gas in rich in methane, which affects both air and water quality. When methane is separated from fluids and other gases, the process released volatile organic compounds.³ Chemicals containing volatile organic compounds may also be used when a well is drilled or during fracking to break up rock formations.³ In addition, compressors and other equipment emit volatile organic compounds.³ Volatile organic compounds can be harmful to human health, causing symptoms such as headache, loss of coordination, and damage to the liver and kidneys.³ In addition, volatile organic compounds contribute to the creation of ground-level ozone, which can contribute to severe respiratory and immune system problems.³

As the natural gas industry grows, it will come into conflict with ranching, wilderness recreation, and housing developments. In the coming years, public exposure to pollutants involved in energy production is expected to increase, with many possible consequences. However, natural gas may also have many economical benefits, and if regulated properly, may be a safer source of energy than the sources commonly used today.

¹http://www2.epa.gov/hydraulicfracturing
²http://www.economist.com/debate/days/view/934
³http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1817691/

Wind is a renewable resource that can be used to provide power, mainly electricity. Wind turbines use their blades to collect the wind’s kinetic energy. Wind flows over the blades, which creates lift and allows the blades to turn.¹ The blades are connected to a drive shaft, and the drive shaft turns an electric generator to produce electricity.

¹How a Wind Turbine Works

Historically, wind power has accounted for a small percentage of energy production, however the amount of electricity generated by wind has increased significantly in recent years; electricity generation from wind has increased from around 6 billion kilowatt-hours in 2000 to around 140 billion kilowatt-hours in 2012. ¹ New technology that decreased the cost of generating electricity from wind, tax breaks, and green pricing programs all helped increase the use of wind power. ¹ Despite the increases however, in 2012, wind turbines only generated about 3% of the total electricity generated in the United States in that year.¹

¹WInd turbines

Like any source of energy, there are benefits and drawbacks to using wind power. Wind is a clean source of energy and has fewer environmental consequences than many other sources of power. Wind turbines usually do not release pollutants into the air or water and do not need water for cooling.¹ They many reduce the need for fossil fuels, reducing air pollution, carbon dioxide emissions, and water use. In addition, many wind farms are located on farm, grazing, and forest lands, allowing farmers and rancher to stay in business and prevented the land from being developed for other purposes.¹

However, there are also negatives to using wind power. Though wind is renewable, it is not always available. When wind is not blowing sufficiently, wind turbines will not turn and electricity will not be generated. In addition, competition from other industries generating electricity prevents wind energy from supplying a major portion of the United State’s energy needs. In 2008 and 2009, the wind industry employed around 85,000 people in the United States, according to the American Wind Energy Association.² However, around 10,000 of those jobs have disappeared because of low demand, competition from natural gas, and competition from Asia.² Chinese manufacturers can produce wind turbines cheaply because of state subsidies can easily outcompete American manufacturers.² In addition, some people find wind turbines unappealing aesthetically, especially large wind farms with rows upon rows of turbines. Wind turbines can be loud, so people living in the area might not enjoy the sounds they make. They also can negatively impact the environment, killing many birds per year. When birds migrate, they try to fly at lower altitudes to conserve energy and will collide with human-made structures. Many bird species are already in decline and as the number of wind farms increase, the number of birds dying from collisions with wind turbines will also increase. Bats can also die from crashing into wind turbines. In addition, roads often have to be built when wind plants are built, adding to their environmental impact. Making wind turbines uses metals and other materials that are produced using fossil fuels, furthering the environmental impact.

¹http://www.eia.gov/kids/energy.cfm?page=wind_home-basics-k.cfm
²http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/21/business/energy-environment/as-a-tax-credit-wanes-jobs-vanish-in-wind-power-industry.html?pagewanted=2&_r=0&ref=windpower