A highly contested point when it comes to clean energy is the morality of fracking. What is fracking? According to BBC News, fracking is “the process of drilling down into the earth before a high-pressure water mixture is directed at the rock to release the gas inside.” Using these materials at high pressure, small fractures occur within shale formations to stimulate production and extract energy from underground wells of oil. After three to five days, the rig and derrick are removed from the site. It is commonly referred to as hydraulic fracking due to the amount of water used. A combination of water, sand, and chemicals are injected into the rock through strategically placed pipes that are drilled horizontally or vertically. It goes miles deep into the Earth into the rock layer. It got its name by referring to how rocks are fractured into smaller rocks through this high-pressure mixture. It has been in practice in the United States since 1947. In total, there are more than 1.7 million US wells that have produced more than seven billion barrels of oil and 600 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.

The benefits include allowing firms access to more reservoirs of oil and gas. Fracking has unlocked abundant natural resources. It is cleaner than traditional forms of oil and gas removal which has brought cleaner air and been a contributing factor in reducing US greenhouse gases. Studies have shown that fracking is linked to dramatically improving air quality. However, this can be contested for it still has some carcinogens associated. It greatly boosts domestic oil production. This production has reversed the United States’ trajectory of energy scarcity, along with making us less reliant on other countries for energy. The greater the oil production, the lower the gas prices. With lower gas prices, there is more opportunity to generate electricity and lower emissions of coal. Also, the fracking industry contributes many jobs to the workforce, greatly impacting the economy.

Unfortunately, fracking comes at an environmental cost. Fracking requires vast amounts of water, which must be transported to the site. However, it does not impact the rock layer since it is just water. The high amount of pressure is being researched into possibly causing earth tremors. This process may also cause infrastructure degradation. Even though it is predominantly water, scientists are concerned that chemicals may escape and spike water sources, which directly impacts humans. These carcinogens are being researched into being connected to severe headaches, asthma symptoms, childhood leukemia, cardiac problems, and other birth defects. However, this is not proved consistently.