A Look At Hydraulic Fracturing

Hydraulic Fracturing, which is also commonly referred to as Fracking, is the new kid on the block for energy creation. The name lends itself to the process of fracturing the rock deep under ground - this method is used in multiple ways for extraction purposes. The most common material being to release shale gas, tight oil, or any other valuable limited supply locked away in rocks that were previously unreachable. The water is usually mixed with sand or grit to help grind away at the available cracks hidden deep within the ground, these are known as fissures. These fissures can be as little as 1mm across before the grit gets to them, the grit then helps keep the fissures open for the extraction of sources that are deemed useful. The drill is usually sent downwards, then after a period of time, it's sent horizontal for miles at a time so that the whole rocky layer is exasperated of it's locked away resources.

The whole 'Fracking' process has come under a lot of fire with environmentalists as the sites where it takes place require transport of water in very large amounts, at a cost to the surrounding area. The process of which a drill has to gouge out huge holes within the rocks is a permanent thing, once the drilling is complete, that natural rock will always show gaping wells within the ground, and only for a limited benefit. The implications of destroying something permanently for a short fix (in the grand scheme of things) is a concern of many organisations, including Friends of the Earth. One spokesperson on behalf of this organisation, spoke for the BBC; "Shale gas is not the solution to the UK's energy challenges," said Tony Bosworth, Friends of the Earth energy campaigner. "We need a 21st century energy revolution based on efficiency and renewables, not more fossil fuels that will add to climate change."

Hydraulic Fracturing is just another way to avoid creating a modern energy solution for the growing problem of climate change, in a world with a limited number of years remaining before our worldly habitat becomes ever more dangerous for general living, and the resources we use are depleted to the point at which we would need to find another solution anyway. Fracking is only a diversion from the true problem that we face as a generation of people that need electricity for almost everything that we do, even the most mundane of tasks.