http://www.treehugger.com/fossil-fuels/colorado-and-texas-require-disclosure-fracking-chemicals.htmlArticle by: Rachel Cernansky
Caption: This picture shows what the land looks like around where fracking occurs.
Summary: This article is basically saying that Colorado and Texas need to send in a report of all the chemicals put into the ground prior to fracking. It was also stated that Texas will publish all fracking chemicals on a website. The EPA recently admitted that fracking chemicals are responsible for aquifer contamination in Wyoming. Basic environmental protections such as the Clean Air and Safe Drinking Water Acts haven't helped much because the oil and gas industry is exempt from these laws.
Opinion: I think it is a good idea that the states of Colorado and Texas are requiring that all fracking companies put in a report of the chemicals that they put into the ground. I also think it is completely rediculous that oil and gas industries are exemt from the Clean Air and Safe Drinking Water Acts because they are affecting other states aquifiers not just their own.
Questions:
1) Do you think that the oil and gas industry should be put under the Clean Air and Safe Drinking Water Acts?
2) Could this be happening in other states as well?
3) are their alternate ways to get natural gas besides fracking?
I think it is a good idea that the states of Colorado and Texas are stepping up to the plate and requiring that all fracking companies give a clear report of the chemicals that they have put into the ground. This article reminds me of the video we began watching in class, because none of the homeowners were happy that the companies were taking over there land, same as Colorado and Texas are not satisfied with what is going on under there nose.I also agree with Sarah when she said that it is completely rediculous that oil and gas industries are exemt from the Clean Air and Safe Drinking Water Acts because they are affecting other states aquifiers not just their own!
ReplyDelete1) Do you think that the oil and gas industry should be put under the Clean Air and Safe Drinking Water Acts?
YES! They have no right to be disturbing other people's property and ruining their water, which is something Americans are entitled to, clean, safe, drinkable WATER!
2) Could this be happening in other states as well?
This could deffinetley be happening in other places, but we may just not have heard of any thing major.
3) are there other alternate ways to get natural gas besides fracking?
Some alternatives to fracking are using solar power, wind power, and even other fossil fuels are more "green" than fracking.
Personally, as of now, I believe that in my house, we use natural gas the most. We might get that gas from fracking. I agree with Simal in the fact that this completely reminds me of the new Documentary we began watching in class about fracking. If those states required that the companies had to write a report, it would make it much easier for them. The fracking companies are putting way too many chemicals into the ground which can really effect the earth around it. I believe that in the video it said that the companies use about 550 chemicals as a part of their fracking fluid (an essential part to fracking). That is a lot of chemicals that they have to use that go into our ground. This could really change things for the better!
ReplyDelete#1: They absolutely should! Air and Water and two major resources that we all really need. If they are polluted because the gas companies don't need to follow them, our air and water are going to get so polluted. Going along with the documentary, all of the residents showed how polluted their water is. Many of them could light it on fire! If they had to abide by these acts, our world would be so much cleaner and safer.
#2: I'm sure that fracking happens in other states. However, if this article speaks about all of the states, then I'm sure that only these two states have to follow this new rule.
#3: There are other ways to get natural gas! When companies drill for oil, there is a small pocket above the oil which contains tons of natural gas. We could use this method to obtain the natural gas while we are also drilling for the oil. This is probably a much safer way to get natural gas. Personally, I would prefer this to fracking because it does not harm our water or air as much as the fracking does. For example, in class we learned about Saudi Arabia which drills for oil and does not like to obtain the natural gas that goes with it.
Im not really of fan of fracking but like Tal said, we do use natural gas for many things and this is one of the few ways we obtain it. Its great that these states made laws reguarding contamination due to fracking, and hopefully other states will soon too!
ReplyDeleteto answer 1, i think that they should deffinately be under those acts! Not only do these industrys contain the most contaminants, i beleive that they have no restrictions and should be able to be regulated more than they have been in the past.
to answer #2, of course it could. The scary thing is that these states may not know about it, and are therefore drinking contaminated water without any warning.
to answer #3, yes of course. We could use other energy sources that are renewable and less polluting, such as solar and wind power
I completely agree with what Texas and Colorado are doing about the Fracking chemicals. It is wrong that these companies can put these chemicals into the ground and make others ill through water...which we need. I also think that we should be doing that hear in PA and in New York because they are so close to us.
ReplyDeleteANSWERS:
1) I absolutely agree that these companies should be put under the Clean Water Act and the
Clean Air Act, because they are 2 things that we really need to be safe for us. The fact that companies are exempt from this acts shows that they aren't really telling people what they are using.
2) I think that fracking is happening in a lot of other states and that people are unaware of what it does to the things that they need.
3) I think that maybe they could get the gas without using such harmful chemicals. I think that they should use chemicals that are used around us everyday, that way we would be able to live with it. I also think that they should use something other than water, or at least use less water.