Fracking By Tuvia Reback

What is Fracking? Fracking Process that U.S. and other countries use to remove natural gas from shale rock pores deep underground A mixture of sand, water and different chemicals is pumped into the ground at high pressure Causes the rocks to crack, releasing the natural gas from pores Natural gas flows up the well into storage tanks

How else does the U.S. produce energy? Other than fracking, the U.S. uses a lot of different sources for fuel/energy such as Electric plants Coal reserves Nuclear reactors Crude oil Hydropower Wind power Solar power More fracking in U.S. = Great increase in our energy supply = Less reliant on other countries for energy In 2013, energy sources and percent share of total electricity generation were Coal 39% Natural Gas 27% Nuclear 19% Hydropower 7% Other Renewable 6% Biomass 1.48% Geothermal 0.41% Solar 0.23% Wind 4.13% Petroleum 1% Other Gases < 1%

Is Fracking Safe? Studies on fracking show potential risks: Contamination of groundwater Methane / Air pollution Exposure to toxic chemicals Waste disposal Fracking-induced earthquakes Workplace safety hazards People are still concerned about water contamination 2004 EPA study showed no evidence of water pollution to water supplies near certain fracking sites Since then, studies near other fracking sites have showed evidence of pollution

Media Perceptions Fracking has been referenced many times in the media The Simpsons Episode clearly against fracking Portrayed fracking the cause of flammable tap water (based on movie Gasland by Josh Fox) Fracking wrongly connected to flammable tap water shown in Gasland Scientists at the Colorado Oil & Gas Conservation Commission concluded: “There are no indications of any oil- and gas-related impacts to your water well … Methane gas is common in water wells in Colorado. It occurs naturally… as a gas in coal or black shale seams [and] as a byproduct of the decay of organic matter.” Opposites Afrack

Jewish Opinions In Judaism there are opposing views Tikkun Olam: Jewish concept that everyone must help repair the world If fracking is truly bad then wouldn’t this be contradicting Tikkun Olam? G-d gave man a certain amount of dominance over the earth to use to our advantage How far can we go without damaging the earth to a point where we can’t use it?

Conclusion In conclusion, fracking could be the Answer to the U.S.’s energy dependence Yet Could also be very dangerous to our environment My opinion: I think that fracking is not ideal, but necessary for the U.S. to continue practicing so that we can keep up in the on-going power race. I hope that eventually we don’t need fracking, because it’s obviously not good for the environment. What did you think before hearing this presentation compared to now after you’ve seen it? Has your opinion changed?