Fracking: Your Thoughts...

For those of you who don't know: Hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking", is the process of drilling and injecting fluid into the ground at a high pressure in order to fracture shale rocks to release natural gas inside.

Pros: Cheaper and America has a source of energy.

Cons: If not done correctly and safely, it destroys the environment and turns people's water into a flammable liquid filled with harmful gases. It essentially ruins lives and nature.

If done properly I am all for it :)

I thought the idea that it made drinking water flammable (in some cases) was debunked. I am pretty sure that this occurs quite often whether "fracking" is involved or not.

Of course I would not be surprised if what is actually occurring is a propaganda battle between energy conglomerates and the big business side of the Green Movement. Lots of money to be made for either side depending upon which lie joe public adopts.

never heard of it but if it works than ok

@russellmania77: It always "works" unless you live in one of the fracking zone. Then you're drinking gasoline and your pets lose their hair.

So yeah... working is relative.

Fragging?

@dabee: yeah but i own a shitzu and it is a hassle to always cut his hair so maybe thats a pro lol

Language, Russell.

I was thinking of something completely different when I entered this thread.

It's terrible and destroying a lot of lives already in the States and now potentially Canada.

Exactly. And this is why I wish they would call it something less hilarious :/

It's good

Stephen Colbert called it "making the earth burp." Lol. Anyways, you know there is something wrong, when gas companies pay off families and are stuck with a gag order for LIFE.

I might be OK with it if they took the time and money to make safe and environmentally sound, but that is too much to ask........

What would you rename it?

I know right? For frack's sakes...

Probably something worse, I'm too immature for the task XD

Unfracking believable. Really fracks me off!

@bumpyboo: Ha ha I see.

What the hell is this...?

Yeah they're doing it in my country as well, which is densely populated. I see no good things coming from it besides extra profit for the gevernment >_>

In the Netherlands??? You have got to be kidding me. Wow.

Anybody got any solid proof that when done properly fracking damages the environment? Or are all the haters just jumping on the 'say no to everything' bandwagon?

It will mean cheaper energy which this world sorely needs.

Carelessly idiotic short term profits for companies that destroys the environment and has almost proven extremely dangerous several times already.

Only true in the cases where the fracking wasnt done properly. Dont believe everything you read in the papers.

@optimuspalm said:

You do realize that something like 1/3 of the US was nearly destroyed last year due to operations like these right? There was a dome located near where some of this stuff goes on which had tons of Butane in it which we don't know what would happen in that got released all at once, but it wouldn't be pretty according to most of the best guesses...most of which include the US have a huge swathe taken out of it.

Let's just be thankful they're not doing it near California or Colorado though v.v

Can't we just do Wind, Solar, or Electric? Something about shattering layers of earth underneath us just seems sketchy to me. But who cares right? It's more jobs in a recession.

@dngn4774 said:

Not yet. The tech isn't there quite yet... and Electric comes from those other things. Nuclear as it stands could power us for I think it was 1000 years at our current consumption. Though I'm looking to Solar Cracking. That sounded promising when I heard about it over a year ago now.

Its wonderful. This has the potential to create a lot of jobs, give a kick to the economy, and alter the worlds balance of 'oil power'.

I'd just like to have us all on an energy source that does cause more harm than good (polluting air, water, and land, Shattering layers of earth, harvesting the same energy we use in warheads) that kind of stuff. The only problem is that the remaining sources aren't as appealing to investors because they require a lot more effort and investment before becoming profitable.

That's like saying "I'm gonna quit doing meth and switch to crack because at least it's not as addictive."

The fact this is becoming an issue in Australia is ridiculous.

We have an enormous desert full of nothing. NUCLEAR POWER. If it Chernobyls, it'll kill six goannas and a dingo. No one cares.

@dngn4774: The world needs energy. Right now the best two sources of energy are nuclear and oil. Its hard to install a nuclear reactor into a car, or plane or tuck, so oil is a good choice.

It would be great if other sources of energy were developed enough to be viable, but right now they're not.

People need to get over their fear of Nuclear power. The technology has improved so much since most reactors were built and are self disposing. As the fuel is used in the first stage it's remains become the fuel for the second stage. There is no "waste" because it is all buried and those type of problems because it pretty much self solves those problems.

Lets be honest. It wasn't all down to those operations. Do some research. You'll be surprised at what you actually find out.

Try listening to the 'best guesses' of people who aren't already against the idea.

The world needs energy, and without taking risks we will die out... It will be dangerous at first, but I'm sure we will stabilize it eventually.

@lykopis: nope, i'm not. There's a huge gas bubble in a region of my country called Groningen. It's a huge source of income for our country (11,5 billion a year) and a major export product. The composition of the gas is special and pretty much all our furnaces are built for this special kind. So if we quit mining for this gas it's not like we can just importgas from other countries. Right now, foundations of houses in that region are beginning to show cracks but because of the aforementioned reasons and the economic crisis we can't just quit mining. And this is the most cost efficient and effective way to get it. So you have to weigh the consequences of the environment vs all the other problems. If we quit mining, the money we lose and have to spend will have to come from somewhere... Cutbacks on education, social services, healthcare, higher taxes etc.

From what I know about it I wouldn't say I'm favour of it.

@aiden_cross said:

This type of thing annoys me because Money is imaginary and what it is that you are doing is essentially saying we need to wreck everything around us for something imaginary that might get us some stuffs that is generated by us in the first place... oh well

@durakken: then you haven't read my post properly.

@aiden_cross said:

Maybe... I'm really agitated right now...

Sounds to me you are saying you need to take crap out of the ground and sell it so you can pay for crap that you provide to yourself, but you use the make believe thing called money to explain the selfishness of several services that we have no excuse for not having...

@durakken: then we have a miscommunication because that is most definitely not what i'm saying. I'm against fracking and i think there are better ways until they've perfected the process with no harm to the environment. However, my government is not of that opinion because that will cost money.

And any extra costs the government comes from the bank accounts of the people like they've been doing for the last years. Poverty is already on the rise, handicapped people get neglected, costs of healthcare rise so only the rich can afford it etc. Money we now give to third world countries will stop. Those are things you have to take into account. So while you may stop the 'fracking' you have to wonder if you're not doing more damage in other areas. It isn't so black and white.

@aiden_cross:

It's always the case. Sadly.

For those interested, here is a short video (just over 2min) describing "fracking". Also, the proper term is "frac" as in water frac, ground frac, etc., but people thought "frack" was less confusing and there you have it.

As it stands now -- any company with mining rights can drill beside schools and hospitals. And while the argument technology is "getting better" the problem is the very real and already high amount of suffering for people who are affected by fracking. Instead of waiting to make sure things are done properly and safely, it's more reactionary and that is the problem.

There's lots of links everywhere for those truly interested. I have many problems with fracking but first and foremost it's public safety I am worried about and that has been proven a secondary consideration to profit. These same companies are continuing to gouge consumers at the gas pumps so the argument it's a economic boon is short-sighted and temporary and is geared to line the pockets of executives and politicians who allow this practice without safe protocols in place.

The effects of long-term fracking is unknown. That in itself should say something.

It also stops people making stupid assumptions saying it will end the world or something.

@pyrogram:

That's a valid response, for sure.

However, there's already proof of it being detrimental so while claiming it being the end of the world could be hyperbole, wanting to take a measured and pro-active approach to accountability and compensation is warranted, in my opinion. Instead of corporations focusing on fracking, there should be more of a push on solar/hydro/wind energy conversion technology. Shaking things up and siphoning oil right under our feet should be a bottom of the list option, not a top one.

@lykopis:

I personally think we should invest in nuclear energy. Fracking (safe or not) is not sustainable and will run out.

Solar/hydro/wind is good but for the investment needed time and time again it's shown that it's not efficient.

Or we turn all deserts into Solar Panel energy deserts!

Fracking could actually very much result in the end of the human race or close to...at least the end of civilization as we know it... if it were done stupidly near old faithful. While I would hope noone is that stupid... I wouldn't past someone.

I'll do it properly on my property, and improperly on everybody else's. I'll make SOOOOOO much money selling clean water and charging electronics!

@pyrogram:

Nuclear energy. It's there. It's scary but it is there. I think as a race, we need to curb our energy consumption -- that happening is another thing all together.

As for efficiency, I think we are getting closer and closer to it not being a question of efficiency but what we are left with. You are right, fracking will run out -- whether the earth crumpling beneath our feet or methane kills us in the millions.

I myself like the idea of wind power. And you know, you are being naughty, but I also know you mean it. Turning our growing field of desert into solar panel fields is a great endeavor.

@lykopis:

I don't think it's scary at all. Like, Britain uses it fine and we've never had problems. Nuclear energy is a very clean source of energy, it leaves virtually no external poison or anything if all done legit.

Wind power is nice! But wind turbines in the UK (we've invested LOADS in them) have shown to be crappy and I think the status sometime last year were like 1/3rd of them break down a year O_o

Some desert (most) is unused and simply wasted. If we simply (expensively) put solar panels through hundreds of miles across we'd have loads of energy. But also loads of thefts and black market trade of such panels :P