Today's economy of the world involves various sectors that are involved in the delivery of facilities that enhance the production of other sectors of society. Many nations across the world have been separated by their individual resources possessed. Some of these resources include minerals such as oil, gas and other fluids that create a basis for production in many economies. The majority of the minerals are located deep within the earth's crust. These resources are mostly natural and require man-made means to extract them for manipulation by various organizations. Natural gas plays a formidable role in the world's clean energy future (King, 2012). Nations such as the United States possess vast reserves containing natural gas. These gases are commercially viable through increased accessibility to gas via hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling technologies. Although the hydraulic fracturing industry creates more jobs in the U.S., it damages the environment by polluting underground water reserves and increases dependence on greenhouse gas producing fossil-fuels, therefore making the industry a short term success but long term liability for our country.
Commonly known as hydraulic fracturing or hydro-fracturing, fracking is contemporary mining technique. According to Frac Focus, fracking is a method of extracting natural gas that is located in the shale rock layers, located within the Earth (2014). The process involves a liquid, normally water, that is fused with chemical and sand. The mixture obtained is injected into a certain well, at high pressure. It is performed to form small fractures that are lesser than one millimeter. These cracks are through which fluids, including; gas, brine water and petroleum are transported to the well. Hydraulic pressure exerted through the process is removed from the well. What follows are small grains of various propellants, including aluminum oxide or sand, that hold the fractures open.