What the Frack?

There's a new "F" word in town...

Fracking has been around for awhile, always causing its fair share of controversy. Activists in states around the United States are fighting hard against the practice. However, most people have no idea what fracking is.

So what exactly is fracking?

That's a good question, and a lot of people couldn't answer it. Fracking is a nickname for high-volume horizontal hydraulic fracturing. Right now you're probably still thinking "what the frack." 

Basically fracking is a new drilling technology that allows us to reach natural gas. Drillers, use sand, water, and chemicals and inject them inside of shale rock. This high pressure releases the gas inside. 

Okay cool, so fracking is just a new way to get gas right? Yes and no. Yes, fracking is a new way to reach natural gases. No, not just, there are A LOT of dangers to this form of drilling, hence all the controversy around this new form of technology and why activists everywhere are fighting against it. 

What's so dangerous about it?

There are numerous documented side effects of the fracking process that put our water, air, and overall health at risk. These dangers include::

• 40,000 gallons of chemicals used per fracturing.
• Methane gas and toxic chemicals contaminate groundwater.
• Drinking water contamination causing sensory, respiratory, and neurological damage.
• Small earth tremors caused by the process.

Everyday 300,000 barrels of natural gas are produced by fracking, so it's easy to see why the process has become so popular. However, the immense health and environmental risks that stem from the process may not be worth it. 

The debate will surely continue on as pro and anti-fracking advocates fight over the future of the process.