fracking Archives – The Green Optimistic

Natural Gas Harnessing Could Help Harvest Clean Atmospheric Water

Guest Contributor — Wed, 11 Jul 2018 20:39:54 +0000

Scientists from the University of Texas, Austin, may have figured out a way to kill two environmental birds with one stone. Using waste products in the form natural gas from fracking to collect water stored in the atmosphere could help to reduce environmental pollution and provide clean water as sources become scarcer. So, where can […]

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Quake-Producing Fracking In Pennsylvania Stopped by Company Itself

Ece Polat — Fri, 24 Feb 2017 21:11:24 +0000

The fracking operation of a natural gas company in Pennsylvania was found to cause earthquakes in the western part of the state. The owner of the operation, Hilcorp Energy Co., had the facility very near the earthquakes; however, no damage was reported. Regardless, fracking is known to be a method that can cause earthquakes. During […]

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Why Fracking and Cracking Create Risks to Human Life and so Much More

Nicholas Say — Fri, 24 Feb 2017 19:16:14 +0000

The fracking boom in the USA has received a lot of well founded criticism; it pollutes in just about every conceivable way, and has given rise to dangerous earthquakes in many areas. In addition to all of of that, fracking is engendering a toxic boom of plastic production. The shale gas bodies that fracking targets […]

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Natural Gas Myths – Natural Gas is “Cleaner”

Benji Jerew — Thu, 20 Nov 2014 22:14:07 +0000

Compared to gasoline and diesel fuel, natural gas is definitely cleaner, and it’s fairly convenient to use in the same engines that fun liquid fuels, but what about lifecycle emissions? Thanks to hydraulic fracturing (fracking) and quick-and-dirty business practices, not to mention the near-absence of regulation, natural gas is booming in many parts of the […]

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Scientists Use Chemical Tracers to Catch Fracking Offenders

Mila Luleva — Thu, 23 Oct 2014 09:28:21 +0000

Scientists developed a new method for detecting contamination that has leaked into the groundwater during fracking. The technique uses chemical tracers, which can lead directly to the source of pollution. Hydraulic fracturing, now already very commonly known as fracking, is a process that continuously loses supporters in the faces of environmentalists and the general public. […]

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Side Effect of a Side Effect – Fracking Sand Mining and Human Health

Benji Jerew — Thu, 02 Oct 2014 17:21:32 +0000

Fracking, colloquial for hydraulic fracturing, has led to a great boom in natural gas production, and therefore prices. Unfortunately, fracking has also led to a similar “boom” in side effects. Natural gas emits slightly less carbon dioxide than petroleum does, and far less than coal, but is still a fossil fuel. One might hale the […]

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Solar Power vs Natural Gas – H1 2014 Numbers are Surprising

Benji Jerew — Wed, 17 Sep 2014 13:39:59 +0000

As American energy-needs continue to increase, new energy sources are required to fill in the gap, among them solar power, wind power, natural gas, and coal, to name a few. Looking at the last fifty years of renewable energy in the United States, however, renewable energy, such as wind power and solar power, really only […]

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Fracking Operations Self-Police About as Well as Meth Labs

Benji Jerew — Thu, 21 Aug 2014 17:09:47 +0000

Who watches fracking operations? Not the regulators, apparently! So, apparently there’s this new method to extract natural gas from deep underground, bringing to the surface sweet fossil fuels. Depending on who you listen to, hydraulic fracturing, known as “fracking” for short, is either an extension of mankind’s ability to make money using fossil fuels, or […]

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Fuel Cell Vehicle Myth Eight – Hydrogen Fuel IS Emissions Intensive

Benji Jerew — Fri, 01 Aug 2014 17:31:35 +0000

Some have pointed at fuel cell vehicles as yet another in a slew of “greenwashed” vehicles, but a careful consideration of the facts should help to dispel some of the myths surrounding this new technology. Part of the problem is that, in spite of the fact that hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, much like battery electric […]

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Fracking, “Done Right,” says UK Business and Energy Minister

Benji Jerew — Tue, 29 Jul 2014 14:45:42 +0000

Three years ago, unusual seismic activity forced fracking operations to cease operation in many parts of the UK, but that ruling is being overturned. Starting today, oil companies can bid on shale gas exploration rights, vis-à-vis, fracking, which is short for hydraulic fracturing. On the one hand, allowing for oil exploration seems to be a […]

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Revealing Fracking Chemistry Could be a Felony in North Carolina

Benji Jerew — Fri, 23 May 2014 16:45:39 +0000

If there is anything to make it clear who fracking companies have in their pockets, it has to be the latest bill introduced in North Carolina. Fracking, short for hydraulic fracturing, refers to a process used to extract petroleum products from deep underground, mostly natural gas. Natural gas, as a fuel, emits less carbon dioxide […]

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Anti-Fracking Politician Called “Terrorist”

Leigh Hutchens — Wed, 07 May 2014 20:33:24 +0000

Rep. Jared Polis (Democrat-Colorado) thinks local communities should be able to decide how fracking is regulated in their area – if it’s permitted at all. According to the chair of the Colorado Republican Committee, Ryan Call, this makes Jared Polis a terrorist. Polis is among backers of an initiative proposed for November that would increase […]

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UK Wind Power vs Fracking, Conservatives Withdraw Promise of Green Government

Benji Jerew — Wed, 30 Apr 2014 15:08:34 +0000

With the energy future, mainly wind power vs hydraulic fracturing (fracking), of the United Kingdom in play, the same game between the politicians (read: big money) and the public good is being played out. Wind power is overwhelmingly and consistently popular with the public, while fracking is, unsurprisingly, not on anyone’s “A”-list, unless you’re a […]

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Court Ruling Could Set “Bad” Precedent for Fracking Operations

Benji Jerew — Thu, 24 Apr 2014 16:48:39 +0000

Fracking companies have consistently asserted their operations are clean, and some courts have even held up “company rights,” but a new court ruling could end all of the bickering. Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is perhaps the latest, “greatest,” innovation in natural gas extraction. Increased use of natural gas could be the key in stepping over […]

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Could Fracking Actually Be Good for Climate Change?

Benji Jerew — Mon, 14 Apr 2014 14:59:56 +0000

I’m having a hard time seeing how this is possible, but could fracking for natural gas actually be good for climate change? According to all research on the subject, climate change is being effected by a drastic increase in carbon dioxide emissions, specifically since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. The Industrial Revolution was fired, […]

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Carbon Dioxide Replaces Water In Fracking, Potentially Making The Process “Greener”

Mila Luleva — Tue, 08 Apr 2014 19:27:11 +0000

Regardless of what governmental officials say, hydraulic fracturing, most commonly referred to as fracking, is not green. Not only that it leads to ground water contamination, denigrated air quality, and raised CO2 levels, the process also uses up as much as 2 million gallons of water per year. New research conducted by General Electric Co. brings […]

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Republican Frank McNulty Against Colorado Fracking Health Risk Study

Benji Jerew — Tue, 25 Mar 2014 15:01:09 +0000

Big money and politics are at work again, and Colorado drinking water is at more risk than ever, thanks to a blocked health risk study proposed regarding hydraulic fracturing (fracking). Last week, Colorado House Bill 1297 was proposed, sponsored by Democrat Joann Ginal, who said, “There is lack of data on health risks” related to […]

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Survey Says Young People Approve of Wind Power but Not Fracking

Benji Jerew — Mon, 17 Mar 2014 17:05:59 +0000

With all the problems associated with fracking, it should come as no surprise that the polls are heavily against the practice. A recent survey conducted in the UK, “Public Attitudes to Science 2014,” asked a total of 1,749 adults their attitudes on science in their lives. Topics included how much science they hear about on […]

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Ohio Earthquakes Trigger Cease-Fracking Order

Benji Jerew — Fri, 14 Mar 2014 22:16:03 +0000

In the last week, eleven earthquakes have been felt in Northeastern Ohio, prompting authorities to order local fracking operations to halt. Fracking (colloquial for hydraulic fracturing, a controversial method to extract natural gas) companies insist they’re not causing any problems. With regards to possible water contamination, for example, companies insist the witches-brew of chemicals they pump […]

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Explosion at Chevron Fracking Site Wins Residents ‘Free’ Pizza

Mila Luleva — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 05:29:43 +0000

How much would you pay to compensate people living around a fracking site that has just had a big explosion, leading to one death and making hundreds of residents scared as hell? You give them all a free pizza! Apparently, this is what people deserve for being exposed to all sorts of environmental threats that […]

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MoveOn Recruits “FrackingFighters” to Combat Climate Change

Leigh Hutchens — Tue, 14 Jan 2014 08:38:08 +0000

The online, left-leaning, progressive organization Move On plans to recruit FrackingFighters to support anti-fracking movements across the US and will provide funding and training to 100 activists to do so. The initiative seeks to slow down the fracking boom that is anticipated to occur across the U.S. in 2014 and beyond. MoveOn has been inspired […]

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Anti-Frackers Use Wind Turbine Blade to Block Drill Site

Leigh Hutchens — Wed, 18 Dec 2013 04:59:27 +0000

In a dramatic protest on Monday in Manchester, 50 British fracking protesters delivered a 56-foot wind turbine blade to a test drilling site at 5:30 a.m. to block the entrance before police arrived. The British government is working in tandem with big energy companies to build more gas-fired power stations across the U.K. Activist Sandra […]

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Fracking Protesters Could Be Treated as Terrorists

Danny Harper — Tue, 10 Dec 2013 13:39:02 +0000

On November 13th, the COO of Eagleridge Inc. came to a Homeowners Association meeting in Mansfield, Texas with an armed security escort in tow. He confidently took the podium and told the residents in attendance that anyone who protested his company’s gas wells, many of which are less than 200 feet from homes and schools, will end up […]

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California Fires Warning Shot in the Battle Against Fracking Waste

Leigh Hutchens — Fri, 06 Dec 2013 10:35:51 +0000

On November 15th, Vintage Productions of Kern County, a southern California oil company, was fined $60,000 after being caught on camera dumping fracking waste into an open well site. An area farmer, Tom Frantz, caught workers from the company dumping a black liquid discharge into an unlined, open pit on the well site in Shafter, […]

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New York City “Benefits” from Cheap Pennsylvania Natural Gas

Benji Jerew — Thu, 28 Nov 2013 17:55:04 +0000

Those who use natural gas for heating, cooking, and even transportation, generate fewer greenhouse gas emissions than traditional propane, gasoline, or diesel fuel. Thanks to the abundance of natural gas, these user also spend much less on fuel for the same tasks. Building owners in New York City, for example, have been upgrading their systems […]

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U.S House Bills Propose Major Oil and Gas Deregulation

Danny Harper — Thu, 21 Nov 2013 08:21:31 +0000

The Federal Lands Jobs and Energy Security Act is a controversial series of oil & gas deregulation bills currently being proposed by the Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives. Here is a quick run-down of the key points within the Act: $5,000 fee to file an official protest for proposed drilling projects Directs the Department of […]

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Fracking Wastewater Found to be Polluted, Even Radioactive – Duke University

Benji Jerew — Tue, 08 Oct 2013 18:23:51 +0000

The recent boom in fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, to extract natural gas, has led to low natural gas prices, which is a good thing, supposedly, for the economy, but it seems like we’re going to have to pay for those low prices in other ways. Fracking, in principal, is easily explained. A well is drilled […]

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Methane Worse Than CO2 as Greenhouse Gas – Fracking Makes it Even Worse

Leigh Hutchens — Sat, 05 Oct 2013 01:41:14 +0000

Methane (CH4) is a far more dangerous greenhouse gas than CO2, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The IPCC’s latest report, released this past Monday, reports that methane is 34 times stronger a heat-trapping gas than CO2 over a 100-year time scale. Methane’s current global-warming potential (GWP) is 34, nearly 40% increase […]

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Lawsuits Filed Over Fracking-Related Earthquake Damage in Arkansas

Leigh Hutchens — Fri, 20 Sep 2013 03:58:35 +0000

Hydraulic fracturing, or the forcing open of fissures in underground rocks by injecting liquid at high pressure in order to extract oil and gas, is extremely controversial and environmentalists have always argued that the risks of fracking are not worth the rewards. In what is probably a first, residents in Arkansas are suing Chesapeake Energy […]

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Exxon Mobile Busted Again for Environmental Infractions

Leigh Hutchens — Wed, 18 Sep 2013 04:24:31 +0000

Earlier this week, news came out that in 2010 XTO Energy, Inc., an Exxon Mobil Fracking company, received an unexpected visit from the Environmental Protection Agency and failed the surprise inspection. Very very badly. It’s only now that the gravity of the results are coming out. The violations the EPA discovered were vast, including illegally […]

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What is Hydraulic Fracturing (Fracking), Anyways? [Video]

Benji Jerew — Thu, 12 Sep 2013 17:05:14 +0000

As petroleum reserves extracted by typical methods begin to run dry, many opportunistic petroleum companies have turned to hydraulic fracturing to extract natural gas located in more difficult locations. Natural gas hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, has become more common in the last decade or so, and a buzzword in political, economic, and environmental conversations, alike. […]

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Two Independent Studies Link Fracking To Increased Seismic Activity

Mila Luleva — Fri, 06 Sep 2013 14:28:04 +0000

New evidence that links hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, to increased seismic activity, has posed additional threats from water contamination and pollution to citizens living nearby drilling sites. Two independent research groups revealed that disposal of wastewater used in the process of gas extraction triggers shifts in earthquakes epicenters and initiates ground-shaking in areas, where it […]

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Studies Identify High Risks Of Groundwater Contamination Near Fracking Sites

Mila Luleva — Mon, 19 Aug 2013 16:26:04 +0000

As the number of fracking sites increases with numerous new planning permissions for drilling being issued almost every day, the concerns over safety and water contamination trigger even more protests and debates. Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking in short, is a technique of shale gas and oil extraction through injecting a mix of water, sand and […]

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Experts Say Fracking Accelerates Global Warming

Leigh Hutchens — Wed, 14 Aug 2013 02:21:15 +0000

It turns out, none of the hullabaloo about fracking being positive and slowing climate change is true. For some time, fracking has had a reputation for curbing global warming since burning gas emits half as much carbon dioxide as the same amount of coal. The numbers associated with fracking looked good, too. After initially embracing […]

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Natural Gas Fracking Linked to Increased Seismic Activity

Benji Jerew — Thu, 25 Jul 2013 16:34:17 +0000

Natural gas extraction techniques vary, but fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, has been linked to water pollution, methane emissions, and even increased seismic activity [read: Earthquakes]. Fracking has turned out to be very controversial. Fracking is an extraction process that involved injecting pressurized fluids into the shale layer of stone containing natural gas or petroleum. The […]

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British Government Plans to Encourage Fracking, People Oppose

Mila Luleva — Thu, 27 Jun 2013 18:33:41 +0000

British governmental officials are about to announce the results from research conducted by the British Geological Survey on quantities of trapped gas in the rocks under Lancashire and Yorkshire. The estimated amounts are much greater than initially thought, with more than a trillion cubic feet of gas at each site. The UK government is also […]

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German Beer Purity Threatened by Fracking for Shale Gas, Brewers Protest

Ovidiu Sandru — Tue, 28 May 2013 07:31:15 +0000

You don’t mess with Germans when it comes to beer purity. Period. An official letter was sent to Berlin officials by brewers, stating their concern that fracking (to extract shale gas) could endanger the water supply that beer is made from, and change its composition. This will breach a 497-year-old law called “Reinheitsgebot” (Beer Purity […]

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Oil Production Surges with Technological Advances, Biofuel Interest Wanes

Leigh Hutchens — Thu, 16 May 2013 02:28:08 +0000

Oil production is taking off, much to the surprise and chagrin of proponents of biofuel. The United States could see a surge in oil production that could make it the world’s leading oil producer within the next 10 years, according to a new report from the International Energy Agency. Several years ago, experts posited that […]

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Could Fracking Cut Carbon Emissions?

Leigh Hutchens — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 03:48:54 +0000

US carbon emissions have fallen quite a bit as a result of fracking. Good news? There’s a catch 22. Energy companies across the country are in the process of extracting gas from shale rock using hydraulic fracturing techniques, otherwise known as fracking. Gas-fired power stations emit 50% less carbon dioxide per kilowatt-hour of electricity as […]

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Carbon Emissions More Likely to be Curbed during Obama’s Second Term

Leigh Hutchens — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 07:20:03 +0000

President Obama still has an uphill battle with Congress on limiting carbon emissions, but he may be able to achieve more progress on curbing emissions by using Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulation. Due to reelection and shifting political agendas and economic conditions, Obama may actually be in a better position now to endure the confrontation […]

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Global Alternative Energy Sector in a Depression Due to Natural Gas

Leigh Hutchens — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 05:58:05 +0000

The global alternative energy sector is in a depression. Alternative energy investments aren’t looking so good, and the private and public sectors around the world have lost billions of dollars. According to experts, hydraulic fracturing, or fracking as it is called, is responsible for collapsing green energy initiatives globally because it has greatly reduced the price of […]

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Excess Greenhouse Gas Found Near Fracking Site in Queensland, Australia

Mila Luleva — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 14:58:11 +0000

Researchers from Southern Cross University found excess quantities of greenhouse gases in the area near Tara gas field in Queensland, Australia’s biggest coal seam gas field. Environmental scientists call for freezing the plans for hydraulic fracturing in the region until it is established whether this could contribute to climate change. The measured quantities are three […]

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Possible Contamination of Drinking Water from Fracking Operations

Maria Reyes — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 05:58:52 +0000

Can fracking operations contaminate drinking water? Findings of recent geological studies generate many disputes on the safety claims of the hydraulic fracturing industry. Hydraulic fracturing involves directing pressurized fluid onto deep shale of rocks to break them open in order to release the trapped methane gas inside. Geologists guauuuurantee this process will not contaminate the […]

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Could Fracking for Methane Have Caused the Recent Italy Earthquakes?

Ovidiu Sandru — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 14:06:04 +0000

You probably heard about Italy’s recent earthquakes and their aftermath. While it’s highly possible that the event had natural causes, there is also the possibility that methane extraction facilities nearby the epicenter have something to do with it. They employ a method called “hydraulic fracking” to crack the rocks beneath the soil by means of […]

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