Dangers of Fracking
In 2013 the Keystone pipeline debate and a 25-year high in U.S. oil output have made fracking a well-known issue. Opinions on the dangers of fracking have changed quickly, with 49% of Americans opposed to the use of fracking, up from 38% opposition in March, according to a September Pew Poll. Still, the environmental effects that fracking entail are not widely understood. The website www.dangersoffracking.com aims to change that. The well-designed site illustrates the issues associated with fracking in a easy-to-read scrolling HTML5 infographic.
Some of the sobering statistics offered on the site include:
- 600 chemicals are used in fracking fluid, including known carcinogens and toxins like Lead, Uranium, Radium, Methanol, Formaldehyde, Hydrochloric Acid, Mercury, and Ethylene Glycol.
- 144 million gallons of water are used on each active gas well. There are 500,000 active gas wells in the US. That means 72 trillion gallons of water dedicated to fracking US oil wells. For perspective, Elysian Energy was able to save 574 million gallons of water this year, or 0.00079% of the water used for fracking. It would take over 125,000 Elysian Energys to make up for the water used in fracking.
- The carcinogens and toxins used in fracking leach out from the system and contaminate nearby groundwater. Methane concentrations are 17x higher in drinking water wells near fracturing sites than in normal wells.
- Only 30-50% of fracturing fluid is recovered. The rest is left in the ground. It isn’t biodegradable.
Check out the website to learn more about the dangers of fracking.