Fracking Case

FRACKING

Purpose: To persuade the audience to help stop the hydraulic fracturing that is happening in New York and other states throughout the country.

Thesis: Today I will discuss a very important issue that is happening in our own backyard. Hydraulic Fracturing, also known as “Fracking”, is contaminating our drinking water, all in the name of “Energy Reform”.

How would you feel if you were able to set water on fire? Well some people in New York and Pennsylvania are literally able to set their faucet water on fire. Fracking is a system utilized to extract natural gases from the earth. Today I will discuss the process, dangers and loopholes in regulation of this industry.

First, we must understand how hydraulic fracking works. As I mentioned, it is a means of extracting natural gas in deep natural gas wells. Once a well is drilled, millions of gallons of water, sand and proprietary chemicals are injected, under high pressure into the well. The pressure acts as mini earthquakes to fracture the ground allowing the gas to flow more freely. These wells being drilled are in locations that were previously inaccessible to conventional drilling. Meaning, they are being drilled below our reservoirs and potable water systems. Horizontal fracking uses a mixture of 596 chemicals, many of them proprietary, and millions of gallons of water per frack.

The instances of water contamination discussed in The News articles on hydro-fracturing are not unique to New York and Northern Pennsylvania. Similar stories can be found in Wyoming, Texas, Colorado and other states where this dangerous technique has been used. The chemicals used in hydro-fracturing have been linked to cancer, kidney failure, toxicity of the spleen and fertility problems.

The long-term negative environmental and human health effects of fracking far outweigh the short-term profits. The only winners here are multinational gas corporations. The Green Party of New York and all of its candidates for statewide office this year have called for a permanent ban on hydro-fracturing. We should instead be focusing on