Will Fracking Destroy Our Planet?
Hydraulic fracking is a method of drilling through rocks to access oil, fuel for cars, homes, and to accommodate modern way of life – yes, it is very convenient. Fracking is a process of extracting natural gas from layers of shale rock which involves injecting a liquid – likely filled with pollutants - into the rock to access gas. We are comfortable and greedy, but fracking might be destroying the planet that we live on. Earth is not ours; we borrow her from our grandchildren. We are stewards of this planet, and because of this it is essential to preserve her health. Some activists believe that fracking contributes to global warming – the alarming storms and wildfires leave no doubt that this is a big concern – it also contaminates ground water and releases methane into Earth’s atmosphere. A researcher, Louis W. Allstaadt, wonders if “fracking is conventional drilling on steroids.” In athletes, steroids may cause aggression. For the planet, fracking causes incredible – most likely, irreparable - damage.
I argue that we must completely abolish fracking. We can do this by giving rivers, along with other endangered sections of the planet, legal personhood. If rivers are given legal personhood, then it will be illegal to destroy them. Doing this would protect natural places, along with preserving the Earth for our grandchildren as well as for their grandchildren. However, this proposal is not solely for the safekeeping of Earth’s young, future inhabitants– when Earth is inhospitable, the Dark Ages will return at best, and we will be extinct at worst. Earth will become like Mars – not a place where we safely live. I believe one of many ways to prevent this occurrence is to give Earth the same rights: those equivalent to those of human beings.
While I am not saying that Earth herself is a person, there may be deities that represent the Earth. She is often talked about as “Gaia” or simply “Mother Earth” and is often honored by indigenous, shamanistic religions. Because deification of the planet is a relevant matter to my argument to abolish fracking, I will refer to Earth as she, and ask people to offer grave reverence for her. When we hold Earth to be sacred, we will be more motivated to protect her from rapacious human actions. I know that some people would argue that Earth knows how to take care of herself regardless of us – she has existed and thrived long before us – however, we will not be able to survive in her atmosphere. I believe that fracking is harming Earth’s atmosphere in an unrepairable manner. Although Earth herself obviously has no consciousness, when protective laws give the planet the same rights as human beings have, we will safeguard the planet.
How do we give the planet the same fundamental rights we gave to people? I believe it is vital that we start now. There is a precedent for this, which was started by the Māori people in New Zealand. Legal personhood was given to New Zealand’s Whanganui River, and the same is being attempted in Wisconsin for the Missouri river. “Non-western, often indigenous paradigm that holds a spiritual reverence to homelands and natural systems and an urgency to protect their natural resources” (DeVault) is an idea that holds us to an ethical standard of preserving the planet. Truly, giving rivers personhood could prevent selfish companies from destroying the planet. The natural gas in the shale is not for us – we breathe in oxygen; shale is one of the many natural resources unique to earth, and it is not ours to exploit, ravage and destroy.
This idea might not be as radical as it seems to be on the surface. We have been giving corporations rights equal to that of human beings for a very long time. In that light, why not do the opposite and give Earth’s rivers, jungles, and oceans legal personhood? We can do this not just to protect these natural wonders, but to guarantee that the planet will still be there for our grandchildren – as well as for us, when we want to enjoy our old age in relative peace. When we run out of natural resources, it is not just our offspring who will be in danger – it will be all of us.
How much fracking is actually done? One writer, Sara Toth Sub provided data that “in 2019, the United States exported 4.7 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, more than three times as much as in 2014.” Fracking is an enduring business, making a significant amount of money, but that money will not save us from toxic drinking water and a poisonous atmosphere. Another voice on the topic, Daniel McGlynn, suggests that “nearly half of the nation's natural gas production will be done through fracking" which is dangerous because fracking is new enough that we are not aware of the risks, and while fracking may be more efficient than coal as a source of fuel, that does not mean that the process is safe for Earth (or us). Even planet-conscious activists debate this issue, asking themselves if natural gas is safer than coal. McGlynn goes on to suggest “that natural gas may be less than 25 percent cleaner than coal and oil.” Although it is important to differentiate between the two, both will inevitably run out. It might happen in your lifetime – the planet that is your home will transform into a harsh, uninhabitable place that is incompatible with conscious life. In fact, according to Sara Toth Stub’s research, “The world has enough known natural gas reserves to last another 53 years, compared with 51 years for oil.” Most of us will be alive in 53 years – and, at that time, we will have to answer to the crimes against the earth – in sickness, fear, or death; maybe all three.
Alternate sources of energy, from solar, wind, and ocean energy, are venues that we could harness instead of relying on fracking. Crafting solar panels is a good starting point. Unlike oil and natural gas, solar panels – along with wind and ocean fuel - are replenishable. Harnessing these sources of energy will maintain the health of our planet and guarantee it is around for our children and their children. Although some critics might say that fracking creates jobs, “the fossil fuel industry greatly exaggerates the number of jobs it creates” (Hauter). Many of the jobs the fracking industry does create are low-pay, dehumanizing gas station jobs. Hauter explains that there is an incredible gap between the propaganda of the fracking industry and the unfortunate reality. Creating jobs is not a good enough reason when the jobs themselves could destroy the earth – additionally, jobs in solar energy may end up offering more respectable jobs when compared with demeaning gas station employment.
While fracking may be helpful for the economy – and may be a more efficient way to access oil and gas than drilling for coal - that does not excuse us of its results on our planet. While on the surface the oil industry is rich and good for the economy, what is an economy without a safe place to hike or camp? The stakes are extremely high when our groundwater might be contaminated because of the highly affluential fracking industry. Journalist Kevin Maimann reports that “About 2 billion people do not have access to safe drinking water” and that “tainted drinking water causes 1.2 million deaths around the world each year and up to 80 percent of the illnesses in low-income countries” (Maimann). Fracking is likely to contaminate ground water, and this contamination may end up in drinking water across the globe. If this toxicity, likely resulting in disease and death, is even suspected to exist because of fracking, then it is necessary that we eliminate terminate all fracking and start the transition to alternate sources of fuel.
However, Christina Lyons observes something key: “’It's not about business anymore,’ discussing the Dakota pipeline, which “runs under land sacred to Native Americans just outside the Standing Rock Sioux's reservation in North Dakota” and that “everybody is going to die if this continues. The Earth is dying.” Can we value family before business, and our green forests instead of our green money? Can we be conscientious of what fracking is doing to the planet?
In 2020, just before the covid pandemic started, it was postulated that temperatures were rising far too quickly, and something had to be done. A journalist who focuses on Native American cultures observes that "studies show [that] the Earth’s temperatures [were] rising and ice glaciers melting at a faster pace than predicted” (Lyons). She was hopeful that, as a world, we could shift to clean energy usage - with the explicit goal of restricting the rise of the global temperature “to less than 2 degrees above pre-industrial levels” (Lyons). For these policies to work, and to prevent Earth becoming sicker than a human with covid, a shift to solar, wind, and/or ocean fuel; is mandatory. When the covid pandemic hit, we wore masks. Earth has, let's face it, been very sick for a very long time, and we can no longer mask her condition.
Although some people would argue that Earth existed far longer than people have been on it, and that it can save itself, it is unclear if that is completely the case. Humans have been on earth staging wars, committing genocide and terrorism, and abusing the earth’s resources for a very long time. If we want the Earth to exist for our grandchildren and to safely enjoy our old age, something needs to be done immediately. We must change our monetary fueled actions and find new ways to live. Solar-fueled cars will inevitably be less expensive, and switching to solar energy will not threaten the economy. Solar-fueled cars may produce the opposite effect: a thriving industry that is already starting to profit. Although electric cars, which are the economy’s shiny new toy, are not solar-fueled cars; however, they are a great start. Switching to these electric cars will take the industry away from oil fueled cars. It is a shiny new toy for capitalists: gas is likely to become less expensive.
If we switched to solar energy, wind energy or ocean energy, we would be harnessing power that had always been meant for that purpose: to give our planet the ability to produce energy for us. We will, inevitably, run out of oil and gas. If we don’t start now, we will end up back in the Dark Ages when we run out of fuel. It is not a question about if we will run out of fuel – it is a question of when we will run out of fuel. If we start now, Earth will survive its technological adolescence and it will flourish.
Technological adolescence is an idea comparing civilization today to a young, angry child. We have our shiny new toys – fracking drills, along with bombs – and we want to continue playing in greed. We are selfishly rebelling, while the planet is suffering. Earth’s water is polluted, and if we do not change our actions, we might destroy our planet. There is a great destiny for this civilization – if we get past this age without dying, Earth will become more advanced, and we will attain more freedom. Abolishing fracking may be one way to bring in a better, fairer society for all to enjoy and find meaning in.
Necessarily, the issue is more than contaminated drinking water. Are recent earthquakes in Texas the result of fracking? How long should we tolerate this greed for oil – and the resulting money – that is destroying the planet? While the counterargument is that earthquakes are a phenomenon that happens regardless of fracking, journalist and professor John Whibey writes that “We are only just beginning to understand what we are doing to our local geologies, and this is dangerous.” He continues to provide data on the correlation between earthquakes and hydraulic fracking: “Starting in 2001, when shale gas and other unconventional energy sources began to grow, the rate rose steadily to [approximately] 100 such earthquakes annually, with 188 in 2011 alone” (Whibey).
Let's look at earthquakes in Texas, one of many states that has several fracking wells. A reporter, David J. Goodman, provides data showing that “the state recorded more than 220 earthquakes of 3.0 magnitude or higher, up from 26 recorded in 2017, when the Bureau of Economic Geology at the University of Texas began close monitoring.” Earthquakes happen when there is extreme movement in a fault, and fracking may put pressure on these faults, which shakes up natural rhythm. Although there is not enough data to prove causation, earth was not meant to be stabbed and poked, extracting far more crude oil than necessary. Earth was meant to have clear streams of water, vibrant green trees. As one of the people who love walking in her forests and swimming in her icy oceans, I plead with you to raise awareness of the dangers fracking has to this planet who has become my sanctuary.
In Oklahoma, “a 5.6 magnitude quake in 2016 that forced the shutdown of several wastewater wells” (Goodman). This was one of many tragic earthquakes that may have been caused by fracking, along with many in Texas. It is the suspicion of a connection that is a warning that we, as people living on the planet, should listen to. Will ceasing to participate in fracking make these seismic activities diminish? Goodman posits that “the injection of a large amount of water in a short period of time adds fluid pressure under the earth, which essentially decreases the ‘clamping’ between rocks along natural faults and allows them to slip, creating an earthquake.” I am ultimately left with this important question: are natural disasters natural, or are they influenced by fracking? Willingly allowing earthquakes that kill many citizens makes all employees participating in fracking culpable. This is a form of evil.
Even so, contaminated ground water is enough of a concern that makes me wonder if we should relinquish all fracking and similar activities that threaten Earth and her inhabitants. If fracking is likely to contribute to toxicity in drinking water, then fracking is also partly responsible for the cancers that result. Therefore, it is not just the safety of the planet Earth that is at stake – it is the people who drink Earth’s water and walk in her forests. It is the safety of people who live near fracking wells who are not even aware of the gun pointed at their heads. It is black women in Kenya carrying heavy woven containers to collect water for their families, unaware of the damage fracking caused to that very same water. It is the protection of men, women and children all over the planet that is at stake.
In 2019, oil was discovered in Kenya. It was extracted via fracking. According to journalist Joseph Akwiri, in recent years, “Kenya's Turkana fields hold 560 million barrels of oil" and is a location that fracking corporations are recently interested in. I wonder if we are manipulating leaders of a third world country to soothe our greedy need to always be comfortable. It is possible that Kenya will grow wealthier because of the oil industry, and some groups will become exponentially wealthy when fracking continues exponentially. But what is an extraordinary amount of money when there is not a hospitable planet to live on? Even for the rich, that money will mean nothing. We can eat that money, pieces of paper representing the poison that we purposefully chose to put on our plates. What is all that money, when death comes knocking on our doors, asking to destroy us as we destroyed the earth?
Today it is not that bad. If we keep going, it may become that bad. If we do not eliminate hydraulic fracking, we might eliminate our grandchildren’s right to live on a hospitable planet. We may be long dead before Earth becoming inhospitable becomes the tragic, unavoidable reality, but our grandchildren may not be. How deeply will they suffer? When we enter God’s Hall and are asked why we murdered the planet, what will we say?
There is another key factor that is relevant to the controversial debate on hydraulic fracking: sometimes, fracking may release methane gas into the atmosphere, therefore contributing to global warming. This usually happens during drilling, although the process itself is unclear. A writer who studies this issue, Daniel McGlynn, noticed that “earlier studies focused mainly on the amount of carbon dioxide and other traditional air pollutants, such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, that were released into the atmosphere when gas was burned at power plants.” If these pollutants are not supposed to be in Earth’s atmosphere, that could be one condition (of many) that is contributing to global warming. While we cannot change the horrible reality of air pollution, we can all do our part to make the planet a safer place to live.
Bad air is likely to cause lung conditions, along with various other diseases like cancer. If we eliminate fracking completely, we can reduce the toxins in the air. People will be able to breathe cleaner air and are likely to be healthier than they would have been if we continued increasing fracking. As citizens of the planet Earth, we are getting sicker and sicker as our planet, too, is getting sicker and sicker. There are many ways to rectify this. If we eliminate fracking and harness solar energy, wind energy, or ocean energy, our planet can thrive. Earth is the patient, lying on a cot, aching and screaming for us to stop. We can take our planet’s pulse or give her mouth to mouth. We can hook her up to machines, and try not to let her die, breathing in her last breath – it will be our last breath as well. We will ache as she aches. We can buy expensive black dresses, because the next opportunity for consumerism will be Earth’s funeral. The grave reality is, we will be attending this funeral from the afterlife – because it will be our funeral as well.
Therefore, switching to alternate sources of energy is mandatory. We must lessen the amount of greenhouse gases that we continue to pump into the atmosphere of the dying planet. Storms and wildfires and scorching temperatures are becoming more and more frequent. Besides the concern of running out of fuel, there is the likelihood that greenhouse gases in the atmosphere will make us sick. While it is a sociopolitical issue as much as it is a capitalist issue, it primarily is an objective, scientific issue. There is no escaping it: global warming is happening. Will we be able to reverse global warming? It is likely that we cannot, if we do not start right now.
We have earthquakes because of fracking, and we may have hurricanes because of global warming. Is the planet mad at us? Is God mad at us? Can earth sustain our behavior? Earth is not a person or a god, but we must consider our rights to remain on her if we continue our behavior. If we destroy the planet, all of our sovereign human rights will be revoked. We will not have any land to stand on and bicker about what rights to give and which ones to stubbornly forsake. Earth herself will, indeed, forsake us as she utters her last, dying breath. We will forsake ourselves, and our green dollar bills. Our governments will not matter, and it will not just be Native American tribes arguing about land – it will be everywhere, spreading like a metaphorical wildfire. There will be no land for our grandchildren. They will be born just to suffer on an inhospitable planet.
Reed Karaim writes, “and we know what's causing climate change: human activity. This is no longer subject to debate.” Therefore, it is our fault. Every single human being that does not do anything to change the situation is at blame. The day of the trial has come, and we must ask ourselves if the verdict will be murder. Is it manslaughter? Is it second-degree murder? What about first-degree murder?
Looking at the crisis from a religious point of view, it is critical to do something right now. We can harness the wind. We can tap into the power of the dark, roaring waves. We can use the sun to charge our cars. We can do this simply because it is the right thing to do. We can decrease fracking because the God that created the earth has mandated that we decease fracking now. We must stop caring about the economy and our wallets and start caring about the earth’s longevity. This is a primeval crisis. When the earth dies, will we be her murderers? If we do not give the earth legal personhood, all of us, with all our legal personhood, will die along with earth. We are not tasked with something gravely impossible, but we are tasked with something incredibly difficult. I am saying that the transition to replenishable energy will be very difficult for us, especially from a consumerist, capitalist mind point.
If money is the concern, we might as well continue fracking for natural gas. Yes, fracking is somewhat good for the economy. That cannot be denied anymore. I have established that fracking is not good for the planet we are living on. If we want to live like a family and throw out capitalist notions of situations that are desirable and comfortable, then we must harness the power of the wind. We must create solar-powered cars, and we must tap into the power of the ocean and see what beautiful treasures she can breathe into our bodies.
It is us who are on life support, and if we eliminate fracking, then the Earth will definitely come to our aid. If we fight to save the Earth, she will fight to save us. Will she save our greedy way of life? I do not think she will. I do not think she should, because we can collectively become better people – compassion and empathy in our hearts along with the consciousness to make earth-conscious choices.
The scientists out there can start studying alternate, replenishable sources of fuel. They have likely studied the topic some, but there is always something new to learn. This is a difficult task, and we all play an important role. Global warming is the uncontestable result of our monster fracking. Earth’s resources are near to depletion. I will conclude with a simple narrative of what will happen if we do not start right now.
“What is your name?” a tired lawyer asks.
“My name is Earth. They were greedy, and they did not care. I did love them gravely, and warned them many times,” the planet says quietly, thoughtfully. She struggles to breathe in. She is hooked to the life support machine. There is no one to give her life – not anymore, we took everything precious of hers away.
“Why are you on life support?” the lawyer asks.
“They meant well,” Earth says, croaking her final breath. “Some of them were great. They had empathy for me, as they knew that land was no one’s to own.” The planet that we call earth is rotating on her axis, and she is revolving around the sun, just like normal. She is like mars now – inhospitable.
“I would have the humans anyways,” Earth says. “But they would no longer be able to survive in my atmosphere. I am sorry, counselor.”
“It is me who is gravely sorry,” the lawyer says, gasping for air. “I should have made them do something. I guess it is too late now.”
The earth rotates on her axis, remembering the people that walked in her forests and swam in her oceans. She remembers them vividly – some of them felt at peace when walking through her woods. They felt a deep reverence towards her. Maybe in a million years, the earth will be revived.
“Do you think it will be okay?” the lawyer asks, hesitating. He sobs hysterically for the grave fate all must answer to.
“It could have been. Maybe it will be someday,” Earth says.
This is a cautionary tale that absolutely does not have to happen. It will happen, though, if we do not do something now. Some of us are great friends with the earth – we sail on her lakes fishing; we camp in her forests and jungles. Now we must become activists for a great, ethical cause: the permanent cease fire of all fracking. We must take the gift earth has continually offered us – her oceans, her winds, the sun she revolves around. When we do this, the fate of not having a planet to offer our grandchildren will never, ever happen.
Works Cited
Allstadt, Louis W. Bryfonski, author. Dedria, editor. “Fracking Contributes to Global Warming.” Gale Opposing Viewpoints. 2015. Fracking Contributes to Global Warming - Document - Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints (oclc.org)
Akwiri, Joseph. “Kenya's first crude oil export sparks demands over revenue sharing.” 26 August 2019. Kenya's first crude oil export sparks demands over revenue sharing | Reuters
DeVault, Kayla. “Legal Personhood for U.S. Rivers Could End Destructive Infrastructure Projects.” Gale Opposing Viewpoints. 2017. Legal Personhood for US Rivers Could End Destructive Infrastructure Projects - Document - Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints (oclc.org)
Goodman, David J. “In Texas Oil Country, an Unfamiliar Threat: Earthquakes” 28 January 2023. In Texas Oil Country, an Unfamiliar Threat: Earthquakes - ProQuest
Hauter, Wenonah. “Biogas is a Threat to Climate, not a Renewable Energy Solution.” Gale Opposing Viewpoints. 2021. The Fossil Fuel Industry Doesn't Create Nearly as Many Jobs as it Says It Does - Document - Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints (oclc.org)
Karaim, Reed. “Clean Energy Transition: Is Biden’s aggressive agenda feasible?” CQ Researcher. 12 November 2021. CQ Researcher - Clean Energy Transition (oclc.org)
Lyons, Christina L. “Climate Change: Will Biden succeed in imposing controls?” CQ Press. 21 December 2020. CQ Researcher - Climate Change (oclc.org)
Lyons, Christina. “Native American Sovereignty: Should Indians have more control over their land?” CQ researcher. 5 May 2017. CQ Researcher - Native American Sovereignty (oclc.org)
Maimann, Kevin. “Safe Drinking Water: Is reliable access achievable worldwide?” CQ researcher. 12 May 2023. CQ Researcher - Safe Drinking Water (sagepub.com)
McGlynn, Daniel. “Fracking controversy: Are new natural gas drilling methods safe?” CQ researcher. 2011. CQ Researcher - Fracking Controversy (oclc.org)
Stub, Sara Toth. “The natural gas industry.” CQ researcher. 2021. CQ Researcher - The Natural Gas Industry (oclc.org)
Whibey, John. “Pros and cons of fracking: 5 key issues.” Yale Climate Collections. 27 May 2015. Pros and cons of fracking: 5 key issues » Yale Climate Connections
Reflection
Writing this paper was difficult and inspirational. The paper itself received the grade of an 88, and it was enough to bring my grade in English 102 Honors up to an A. I took a risk and centered my argument around a spiritual reality which I hold very fondly and dearly. I argued that we must completely abolish fracking. Before this assignment, I did not know much about fracking besides that I was against it. Now, I know why I am against it. Although this paper got a B - a high B, though - writing it was a lesson and a journey that I am grateful I went on. This paper was the highest grade on all 4 essays of this class - the others got far lower grades. Anyways, here it is! Let me know what you think of all of last semester's essays which I am now self-publishing them. I wrote them, thus I have the right to self-publish them so all of you can read them.
