Its effects have spread far beyond the energy markets, says john. Hydraulic fracturing more commonly known as fracking is a new, highly controversial technique of energy extraction and there have been big debates on the possible effects it might. These books provide a range of opinions on a social issue. It cracks open the reality of fracking and seats us across the kitchen table from real people who have been poisonedand who, despite being american citizens and taxpayers, cant do a thing about it. Gold is the senior energy reporter for the wall street journal and author of the boom. Prior to 2009, oklahomans experienced an average of two earthquakes a year. Frackings negative impacts on our environment and health come with heavy dollars and cents costs as well. However, the book i s organized around the firsthand experiences of the animals and people be hind seven of these case studies. The real cost of fracking describes cl early these findings. Sep 25, 2014 there are nearly 20 pages of footnotes and a 14page index.
When natural gas drilling moves into an urban or a suburban neighborhood, a twohundredfoothigh drill appears on the other side of a back yard fence and diesel trucks clog a quiet twolane residential street. A flare used to burn off excess natural gas produced by oil wells, mckenzie county, north dakota, 2014. The stories of people who have experienced what they believe will be frackings poisonous legacy are poignant, as they often involve animals and children, often the proverbial canaries in the coal mine. Fracking, despite the controversy around it, is here to stay, says the wall street journal energy reporter russell gold. Each week, our editors select the one author and one book they believe to be most worthy of your attention and highlight them in our pro connect email alert. American life would seem riper for a big social novel than fracking. The real cost of fracking ebook by michelle bamberger. Michelle bamberger, a veterinarian, and robert oswald, a pharmacologist, combine their expertise to show how contamination at drilling sites translates into ill health and heartbreak for families and their. Mar 14, 2014 nevertheless, the boom is an easy read, which is a compliment for a book that is about a process rather than a person. These companies have agreed to a set of 15 voluntary standards in their fracking operations in the marcellus shale. New exploration and production may decrease, and some higher cost wells have.
This book a 234 pp paperback, or available as an ebook is excellent, informative and packed with detail, hard facts, anecdote and opinion. Nov 28, 2014 the real cost of fracking describes clearly these findings. The real cost of fracking meet your next favorite book. The farmers, retirees and children we meet in these pages are canaries in the fracking mineand. Stanfordled study assesses costs, benefits of fracking. The problem with fictional accounts of the fracking boom is the real thing proves far more captivating. The real cost of fracking adroitly documents the maladies that fracking inflicts on its neighbors and their animals, and bamberger and oswald convincingly connect these illnesses with current science and statistical studies. Fracking damages the environment, threatens public health, and affects communities in ways that can impose a multitude of costs. Supporters claim fracking will herald an age of cheaper gas in the us, shale gas accounts for a quarter of the countrys gas industry and fracking has helped cut gas prices by. The operations and environmental consequences of hydraulic fracturing by michael d. The year of pluto new horizons documentary brings humanity closer to the edge of the solar system duration. Shale gas as a case study in innovation policy, john m. This will take just a couple minutes of your time and.
It cracks open the reality of fracking and seats us across the kitchen table from real people who have been poisoned. However, the book is organized around the firsthand experiences of the animals and people behind seven of these case studies. A 2015 study by the national bureau of economic research found that the drilling boom fueled by fracking technology added around 725,000 jobs between 2005 and 2012. Fracking uses millions of litres of water, thousands of litres of chemicals, and thousands of kilograms of sand to blast apart rock. The best allaround book yet on fracking san francisco chronicle from a pulitzer prize finalist. However, it is by showing the pervasiveness of frackings harmful effects on the lives of the householders that bamberger and oswald best convey its true costs. The biggest economic change in the last ten years that no one talks about fracking for oil has made the us energy independent.
All energy comes with an environmental cost, whether nasty chemicals used in producing solar panels, dead birds from. Induced jobs are created when workers spend their wages on goods and services including health care, amusement, food and beverages and. Nevertheless, the boom is an easy read, which is a compliment for a book that is about a process rather than a person. The book includes texts by kent haruf, toby jurovics, and inara verzemnieks and is published by damiani.
The study also counts indirect jobs, including financial and administrative services and real estate linked to oil and gas extraction. Written by a veterinarian and a pharmacologist, the book combines scientific studies and data with anecdotal experiences to make a strong case that individuals and communities are at risk. With tendrils connecting it to the worlds of business, energy. Theres been a major expansion of frac sand mining operations in wisconsin and minnesota. The real cost of fracking by michelle bamberger, robert oswald. How americas shale gas boom is threatening our families, pets and food, examines whats happening to humans, pets and farm animals and the environment, primarily in pennsylvania. A pharmacologist and a veterinarian pull back the curtain. The real cost of fracking by michelle bamberger, robert. Jul 18, 2011 supporters of fracking often say that environmentalists oppose all energy development.
However, the true toll of fracking does not end there. In the real cost of fracking, we learn about david, a 14yearold boy who came down with a mysterious illness shortly after the start of nearby fracking operations. The real cost of fracking describes clearly these findings. The real cost of fracking by michelle bamberger and robert oswald examines the impacts and risks of hydraulic fracturing and shale gas. While marcellus is the nations largest shale play, located in the appalachian. Apr 17, 2012 supporters claim fracking will herald an age of cheaper gas in the us, shale gas accounts for a quarter of the countrys gas industry and fracking has helped cut gas prices by 25% in the four. A pharmacologist and a veterinarian pull back the curtain on the human and animal health effects of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. According to a 2015 report by the nonprofit fractracker alliance, there are at least 1. The authors provide a reasoned and impassioned call for government to stop toxic trespass by the fracking industry. However, the book is organized around the firsthand experiences of the animals and. However, the true cost of fracking ranging from cleaning up contaminated water to repairing ruined roads and beyond are likely to be borne by the public, rather than the oil and gas industry. Again, the states of md, vt, ny and many other countries have voted to ban the process for good. The cost for production of electricity using wind is about 8. There are nearly 20 pages of footnotes and a 14page index.
Because of their higher metabolic rates and immature neurological and detoxifying systems, children are at higher risk of developing. Gold peppers the history of fracking with interesting context, such as the. How fracking ignited the american energy revolution and. May 25, 2016 yet proponents of fracking argue that it has contributed to the nations economic health. Each chapter focuses on a particular controversy, such contamination of well water with gas from fracking, and follows a similar format. How fracking ignited the american energy revolution. One wants to read the real cost of fracking after one begins. Drinking water contamination fracking brings with it the potential for spills, blowouts and well failures that contaminate groundwater supplies. Alan tootil starts before fracking was on the radar of people in the uk right up to this year.
Over the past decade, fracking has spread rapidly, leaving a trail of contaminated water, polluted air, and marred landscapes in its wake. Sep 12, 2014 the environmental costs and benefits from fracking, which requires blasting huge amounts of water, sand and chemicals deep into underground rock formations, are the subject of new. All energy comes with an environmental cost, whether nasty chemicals used in producing solar panels, dead birds from wind turbines, or climate change from burning fossil fuels. How americas shale gas boom is threatening our families, pets, and food describes the results of this research. In the real world of fracking, serious environmental accidents can and do occur quite frequently. Fracking can also pollute drinking water sources for major municipal systems, increasing water treatment. Accessible and informative, this book is perfect for general readers, industry and environmental professionals, regulators, politicians, community leaders. The environmental costs and benefits from fracking, which requires blasting huge amounts of water, sand and chemicals deep into underground rock formations, are the subject of new.
How americas shale gas boom is threatening our families, pets, and food ebook. The science behind the controversy is an important book that should be read by anyone concerned or interested in shale gas or the issues surrounding fracking. Supporters of fracking often say that environmentalists oppose all energy development. Nov 24, 2014 their new book, the real cost of fracking.
In communities across the us, people are hearing more and more about a controversial oil and. Russell gold talks fracking, the shale oil boom and energy. What happens when natural gas drilling moves into an urban area. Mooney, chris, scientific american, 00368733, nov2011, vol.
Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. The real cost of fracking by michelle bamberger and robert oswald examines the impacts and risks of hydraulic fracturing and shale gas extraction on our environment and health, food supply, and pets. Hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as fracking, is a process used to extract natural gas or oil from shale rock and coal beds. Sacco and i wrote the book from the poorest pockets of the united states, including camden, n.
159 267 386 1193 240 586 1068 906 586 852 647 109 1379 950 210 1130 629 455 885 313 1446 1508 678 230 1567 372 216 1400 123 891 86 217 573 432 1148 1114 233 1215 2 161 972 1175 1491 328