Fracking and Tar Sands

Biology and Technology in the Real

World – Fracking

Fracking (hydraulic fracturing) and tar sands (oil sands).  With society's
dependence on nonrenewable fossil fuels, the oil & gas industry is turning to
hydraulic fracturing and tar (oil) sands to extract natural gas and oil.  A friend
asks you "What's all this controversy in the news about fracking and tar
sands?"  Briefly explain to your friend how hydraulic fracturing and tar (oil)
sands are used to obtain these fossil fuels. Then, in more detail, describe the
environmental problems that may result from these processes and why they
are controversial. Issues that should be addressed involves water, air and soil
pollution with special focus on global climate change, effects on human health,
and effects on other species and natural ecosystems. Finally, give your
opinions on possible solutions to these environmental problems, with your
reasoning backed by information from reliable information sources.
1. Find at least three reliable information sources on fracking.

2. Write a paper on fracking with title page, introduction, several
paragraphs addressing the questions, conclusion and references.

Answer Preview……………..

Introduction. The society’s dependence on fossil fuels, particularly natural gas and petroleum products requires that the companies extracting these products from the ground employ efficient techniques. The objective of enhancing efficiency in the mining process is to lower the production costs, hence reduce the prices of these products in the market. For this reason, oil companies have developed hydraulic fracturing and tar sands to extract these commodities from the ground. The approach is efficient because of its ability to penetrate the sedimentary rocks, which store the oil and natural gas. However, environmentalists are greatly concerned about the impact of fracking on the environment. The process leads to chemical spills on the surface, degrades the quality of underground water, disrupts the habitats of the wildlife, and induces seismicity because of the injection of fluids into the wells that are drilled to dispose the wastes.

APA 1277 words