The major new supply of natural gas produced through fracking is displacing the burning of coal, which each year contributes to the early death of thousands of people. Coal made up about 50 percent of U. In particular, nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide emissions have been reduced dramatically. Fracking saves lives, and it saves them right now and not at some indiscernible date well into the future. So fracking is no sure bet for improving regional air quality.
Second, air quality dynamics around fracking operations are not fully understood, and cumulative health impacts of fracking for nearby residents and workers remain largely unknown.
Some of the available research evidence from places such as Utah and Colorado suggests there may be under-appreciated problems with air quality, particularly relating to ozone.
Further, natural gas is not a purely clean and renewable source of energy, and so its benefits are only relative. It is not the answer to truly cleaning up our air, and in fact could give pause to a much-needed and well thought-out transition to wind, solar, geothermal, and other sources that produce fewer or no harmful airborne fine particulates. That is a gigantic benefit. Further, some research that claims methane is so harmful uses a year time horizon; but over a year time horizon — the way we generally measure global warming potential — methane is not nearly so harmful as claimed.
The number-one priority must be to reduce the reliance on coal, the biggest threat to the atmosphere right now. Fears about emissions leaks are overblown.
Even if the true leakage rate were slightly more than EPA and some states estimate, it is not that dramatic. We are developing technology to reduce these leaks and further narrow the gap.
Moreover, research-based modeling suggests that even if energy consumption increases overall, the United States still will reap greenhouse benefits as a result of fracking. And at other points in the life cycle, namely transmission and distribution, there are further ample leaks.
Finally, there is no question that the embrace of cheap natural gas will undercut incentives to invest in solar, wind, and other renewables. PRO FRACKING: It is highly unlikely that well-run drilling operations, which involve extracting oil and gas from thousands of feet down in the ground, are creating cracks that allow chemicals to reach relatively shallow aquifers and surface water supplies.
Drinking water and oil and gas deposits are at very different levels in the ground. To the extent that there are problems, we must make sure companies pay more attention to the surface operations and the top to 1, feet of piping.
We are learning and getting better. Knowledge Library. Article The truth about fracking and the environment. Oil drilling Jon Mullen. Fracking has caused a bonanza of new drilling, and with it comes more threats to sensitive lands that are too wild to drill. Why is fracking dangerous for the environment and people? How fracking damages wildlands Hydraulic fracturing operations are already industrializing wild and rural landscapes, and putting agricultural and recreational economies at risk.
Thank You! Join the movement to save our wildlands. The limitation of this test is that it is very demanding of the data, so these results are not significant on their own, but they provide a compelling validation of the main results.
The most plausible explanation appears to be localized air pollution caused by the increased truck traffic, the diesel generators powering the sites, or perhaps other emissions, but the evidence on the cause is not decisive.
Indeed, future work exploring the mechanism is warranted. Another important area for future research is to explore whether fracking affects health at other ages.
We hope that our paper will open up these lines of inquiry. Fracking has upended the American energy system. It has brought substantial benefits to the nation in terms of lower energy prices, greater energy security, reduced air pollution, and fewer carbon emissions although its long-run impact on carbon emissions is less clear. Our research shows that there are also health and other costs to local communities where fracking takes places.
As governments and communities with shale deposits in the United States and around the world continue to grapple with whether to allow fracking, it is vital that they have the facts on its impacts.
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