There are few issues that have been more contentiously debated than the long- and short-term benefits of fracking. In this “discussion,” which at times has been as controversial as the abortion debate, proponents of fracking claim that fracking will solve most of the country’s energy problems and curb global warming all without any significant effects on the environment. Opponents of fracking argue that it causes water and air pollution as well as earthquakes, and promotes global warming. The absence of federal laws regulating fracking, or requiring that relevant information concerning the process be disclosed, does not help resolve the debate.
One of the most controversial aspects of the fracking debate is its effect on global warming. Fracking is the process by which a well is drilled first vertically and then laterally into rock formations with the hope of finding trapped natural gas and petroleum. During this process, water, chemicals and sand are released into the formation in order to create tiny fractures that allow the trapped oil or gas to be released and captured. Unfortunately, not all of the gas is recovered during the process, and some of the gas, such as methane, can escape to the surface.
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