Fracking: A Polanyian Analysis

Bob Weinhold, a member of the Society of Environmental Journalists, has been investigating environmental health issues since 1996. He continues to expose the public to the consequences of environmental abuse. His article “The Future of Fracking,” analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in their efforts made to regulate and improve the current state of toxic air emissions produced by hydraulic fracturing sites in the United States. Weinhold successfully presents technological and economic benefits of oil and natural gas drilling but counters these successes by considering the damage that current fracking sites and future fracking sites have on human and environmental health. The information he

The documentary Gasland, directed and narrated by Josh Fox, tells the frightening story of corporate greed and a lack of concern for the negative effects of natural gas drilling called fracking. The story begins with Josh receiving a letter from a natural gas company seeking permission to drill on his family’s Pennsylvania estate in exchange for $100,000. In an effort to decide whether to accept the deal, Josh drives from state to state interviewing scientists, politicians and mostly working class people being affected by this method of natural gas extraction. In areas where people welcomed the additional income and allowed fracking on their property thinking this process was safe, they were now experiencing unclean underground water that is igniting, animals that are losing their hair

This project would indeed help people in New Brunswick but at what cost, as Howe explained that fracking is a realistic threat to New Brunswick in terms of air and water quality, and traditional territories, overall this is a recipe for disaster. The main problem in this situation was that the people of New Brunswick had no say in this project, which resulted in many rallies, protests and petitions against it. People were even standing on the side of the highway holding signs in protest and yelling at the fracking trucks that were going by. At one point, due to vandalism of the equipment and blockades, the project was actually shut down for some time. Overall there was just a lot of resistance against this fracking project, the government was not listening to locals and rather there was conflict between them. Another area of conflict in New Brunswick was the role that the RCMP had. In protests, the RCMP mandates priority of protecting the people and private property becomes skewed, where they tend to prioritize private parking. This in turn upset many people, to the point where the Mi’kmaq warriors become involved and even opened up their own chapter in Rogersville. The people of Rogersville wanted the RCMP to leave and have the protection from the warriors

The Drought, along with a recent string of powerful Earthquakes, has provided the momentum for about a dozen of local Governments across California, the third largest oil producing state in the country. Over concerns with the environmental effects Fracking has. And as the drought continues the amount of water used is troubling. At the same time, a bill that would declare a statewide moratorium on fracking has been gathering support in the State Senate, a year after a similar effort failed. “Even if we don’t get a moratorium, just the threat of a moratorium discourages investment.” (Onishi 1) So the anti-fracking activists will take this fight, whether it’s a big win. Or a narrow defeat.

Last year alone, oil and gas companies put hundreds of millions of gallons of hydraulic fracturing fluids into the earth. Many of these fluids were found to contain harmful chemicals such as carcinogens- substances that directly cause cancer. This is why hydraulic fracking has been the topic of heated debate over the past few years. This process of drilling for natural gas has become increasingly popular over the past decade, and has in turn produced many questions about the safety of its wells and the chemicals that are used in drilling. Under current regulations, hydraulic fracking is permitted to be conducted at drilling sites that are located very close to residential areas. The chemicals used in the drilling process have been leaking out of wells, and have contaminated drinking water for some communities. In addition, it pollutes the air by putting methane, a potent greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere. Concerned about the safety of fracking, cities such as Longmont have shown great opposition to the Colorado Oil and Gas Association (COGA)’s regulations. In fact, Longmont citizens voted to put a ban on fracking within city limits in 2012. This ban has been met with retaliation from COGA, who sued the city because of the ban. If fracking isn’t allowed to be banned by cities that don’t want it, then the regulations need to change in order to make the practice both prosperous and safe for the community.

This article tries to advocate fracking by giving insights on how safe fracking is for the environment. To begin with, a brief description is given as to how fracking is done to extract natural gas. Views of Manhattan Institute senior fellow Robert Bryce which compare the CO2 emissions in 2002 and 2012 show a drop of 8% due to surge in shale gas production, which reduced coal usage. Water usage and other resources like land and habitat protection for wild animals has been presented in the article to highlight how fracking is much environment friendly compared to other energy sources, even wind and solar.

Energy has always been the driving force that help mankind developed. From the First Industrial Revolution, steam engine powered by coal was developed. Then the Second Industrial Revolution come with the development of combustor engine and petroleum. Today, oil has become an essential source of energy for production and our everyday life. The demand keep on increasing which lead to the growth in scale and quantity of oil production all over the world. It has led many companies to overlook the benefit of other stakeholder beside their traditional shareholder. And the result as many accident relate to companies cut corner to pursuit profit. Although, we have long realize the negative impact of oil and oil industry. But it is impossible to replace them with some other alternative in a short period. With that being said Fracking has appear to be a shiny star and reasonable solution for U.S in this near future. We will discuss fracking current state and future also as the potential ethic issue tag along with it.

Until now, by the looks of it, there is a demonstrable lack of capability to develop and implement solutions to fracking problem. Despite, the remaining legal questions about the exact scope of Colorado state government authority to regulate oil and gas drilling in the Front Range, many local authorities have enacted ordinances but then hardly any of them could come to fruition. Ironically, there is so much resentment in the market today, that a whole new bunch of activists naming themselves as ‘Fractivists’ have emerged whose full-time job is to mobilize people against fracking, its health, environmental and property rights concerns. As public, media and the law-making bodies are getting increasingly conscious of a resource-constrained future

In recent years, the subject of hydraulic fracturing, better known as fracking has been a constant subject of interest in the news media. The pros and cons of fracking are passionately debated. However, the public should become educated on the subject of fracking prior to choosing a side of the argument. In the scholarly article, “Super Fracking,” published in 2014, by Donald L. Trucotte, Eldridge M. Moores, and John B. Rundle, a detailed description of fracking is provided, followed by their analysis of current issues surrounding the controversy. According to Trucotte, Moores, and Rundle, fracking saves the consumer money. The wellhead cost to produce natural gas in January of 2000 was two dollars and sixty cents per one thousand cubic feet. At an alarming rate, the cost at the wellhead to produce natural gas had risen to eight dollars per one thousand cubic feet by January of 2006. Comfortingly, the wellhead cost dropped to two dollars and eighty-nine cents by the end of 2012. Impressively, gas production increase and price decrease over the time period are a result of fracking. In their article, Trucotte, Moores, and Rundle describe in great detail that hydraulic fracturing, most commonly referred to as fracking is the process of drilling down into the earth to fracture the layers of rock so that a high-pressure water mixture is directed at the rock to release the oil or natural gas inside. This method of fracking has been used commercially for the last fifty years.

With the proliferation of fracking in the United States and its impact on so many different aspects of society from environmental to health and economic impact, it is an important topic that demands more research and along with more community awareness. Another aspect of fracking that is discussed much less than the environmental and public health aspects is that the people that benefit most from the fracking industry usually white affluent individuals do not live in the area that drilling process or waste disposal process happens (Johnston, J. j., Werder, E., & Sebastian, D. (2016). It is also important to keep in mind how the elites of society are able to mold and manipulate public opinion to suit their needs (Davis, C., & Fisk, J. M. (2014). It has been shown how persistent opinions from elites and media messages can sway public opinion in whichever direction they choose (Davis, C., & Fisk, J. M. (2014). This paper demonstrates how the fracking industry not only poisons the environment it poisons communities through creating conflict and negative public health issues.

Hydraulic fracking in the United States is a current environmental hazard that has to be addressed by the American people and by the federal government. Fracking in America has opened up millions of acres of lands that were once not economically viable to produce oil and gas. While the Bureau of land Management has paved the way for hydraulic fracturing on public lands, there is a need for retaliation. Fracking is a dirty method of extracting gases and oils at the price of numerous environmental, safety, and health hazards. The environment is not a means of income when rather it is the capital for future generations.

Hydraulic fracking has dramatically increased the amount of natural gas and oil production. Fracking allows for twice the production of oil and gas over regular oil rigs. Industry observers predict that by 2020, the United Stated will be the largest producer of oil and natural gas in the world. Currently Saudi Arabia produces about 10 million barrels of crude oil per day, whereas the U.S. produced about 8 million. As of right now it is hard to be completely energy independent from Middle Eastern countries because we as a nation consume more than we are able to produce. It was estimated back in 2009 that we as a nation have consume around 19 million barrels of oil-based fuels per day. As the supply and demand of oil and natural gas increase allows for more job to open up. In 2010, IHS CERA estimated around 600,000 new jobs were created. In 2011 alone, the oil and gas industry profited more than 100 billions dollars (Levi, 2012).

As the pace of shale gas drilling has accelerated in recent years, so have environmental concerns. Incidents such as a 2007 home explosion in Bainbridge, OH, the 2008 groundwater contamination on Wind River Indian Reservation in Pavilion, WY, and the 2008 chemical poisoning of an emergency room nurse in Durango, CO, have intensified the debate over regulation of fracking.10 As a result, new laws regulating fracking activities have

experiences and give each other hope in a bid to solve their common problems and recover from substance abuse especially alcoholism.

For this Outcome I was split into a small group of people within my class and was asked to prepare a PowerPoint presentation of no more than 10 minutes addressing the various elements of the marketing process and the benefits and costs of a marketing orientated business giving examples. (PowerPoint presentation attached and notes)