Wednesday, 14 October 2015

We Need To Talk About Fracking

Many people may only have started hearing about fracking or hydraulic fracturing within the last year or two, especially in the USA. Some may still not even know what it is or pay any attention, it’s just another governmental debate about energy. But everyone will be aware of the energy crisis. And it is not possible to talk about the energy crisis without relating it to climate change.

In the past 150 years an exponential growth in population has caused the overuse of fossil fuels to satisfy the ever-growing energy demand leading to the depletion of non-renewable resources and significant amounts of pollution – the energy crisis. This is shown in the graph below by Paul Chefurka. Oil, gas and coal will inevitably reach peak extraction before sources start to rapidly decline. Therefore, the government is looking for new energy sources that are able to support the population at the same time as being environmentally responsible. 

Paul Chefurka, World Energy and Population. 

Fracking is a relatively new concept in the UK and is considered a ‘quiet revolution’ as little is known about it within the public. This is why it is important to talk about it and raise awareness. The more people know about the process as well as the pros and cons the more likely they are to have a valid opinion so that the right decisions can be made for everyone. Therefore, in this blog I will analyse all impacts and advantages of fracking, discuss public opinion and compare natural gas reserves in different countries as well as different energy options. 

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