Hydrolic Fracking Research Paper Essay Example for Free

Hydrolic Fracking Research Paper Essay Hydraulic fracturing is a process used in nine out of 10 natural gas wells in the United States, where millions of gallons of water, sand and chemicals are pumped underground to break apart the rock and release the gas. Scientists are worried that the chemicals used in fracturing may pose a threat either underground or when waste fluids are handled and sometimes spilled on the surface. The natural gas industry defends hydraulic fracturing, better known as fracking, as safe and efficient. Thomas J. Pyle, president of the Institute for Energy Research, a pro-industry non-profit organization, claims fracking has been â€Å"a widely deployed as safe extraction technique,† dating back to 1949. What he doesn’t say is that until recently energy companies had used low-pressure methods to extract natural gas from fields closer to the surface than the current high-pressure technology that extracts more gas, but uses significantly more water, chemicals, and elements. The industry claims well drilling in the Marcellus Shale will bring several hundred thousand jobs, and has minimal health and environmental risk. President Barack Obama in his January 2012 State of the Union, said he believes the development of natural gas as an energy source to replace fossil fuels could generate 600,000 jobs. However, research studies by many economists and others debunk the idea of significant job creation. Barry Russell, president of the Independent Petroleum Association of America, says â€Å"no evidence directly connects injection of fracking fluid into shale with aquifer contamination.† Fracking â€Å"has never been found to contaminate a water well,† says Christine Cronkright, communications director for the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Research studies and numerous incidents of water contamination prove otherwise. In late 2010, equipment failure may have led to toxic levels of chemicals in the well water of at least a dozen families in Co noquenessing Township in Bradford County. Township officials and Rex Energy, although acknowledging that two of the drilling wells had problems with the casings, claimed there were pollutants in the drinking water before Rex moved into the area. John Fair disagrees. â€Å"Everybody had good water a year ago,† Fair told environmental writer and activist Iris Marie Bloom in February 2012. Bloom says residents told her the color of water changed to red, orange, and gray after Rex began drilling. Among the chemicals detected in the well water, in addition to methane gas, were ammonia, arsenic, chloromethane, iron, manganese, t-butyl alcohol, and toluene. While not acknowledging that its actions could have caused the pollution, Rex did provide fresh water to the residents, but then stopped doing so on Feb. 29, 2012, after the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) said the well water was safe. The residents absolutely disagreed and staged protests against Rex; environmental activists and other residents trucked in portable water jugs to help the affected families. The Marcellus Outreach Butler blog (MOB) declared that residents’ â€Å"lives have been severely disrupted and their health has been severely impacted. To just ‘close the book’ on investigations into their troubles when so many indicators point to the accountability of the gas industry for the disruption of their lives is unbelievable . In April 2011, near Towanda, Pa., seven families were evacuated after about 10,000 gallons of wastewater contaminated an agricultural field and a stream that flows into the Susquehanna River, the result of an equipment failure, according to the Bradford County Emergency Management Agency.The following month, DEP fined Chesapeake Energy $900,000, the largest amount in the state’s history, for allowing methane gas to pollute the drinking water of 16 families in Bradford County during the previous year. The DEP noted there may have been toxic methane emissions from as many as six wells in five towns. The DEP also fined Chesapeake $188,000 for a fire at a well in Washington County that injured three workers. In January 2012, an equipment failure at a drill site in Susquehanna County led to a spill of several thousand gallons of fluid for almost a half-hour, causing potential pollution, according to the DEP. In its citation to Carizzo Oil and Gas, the DEP strongly recommended that the company cease drilling at all 67 wells â€Å"until the cause of this problem and a solution are identified.† In December 2011, the federal Environmental Protection Agency concluded that fracking operations could be responsible for groundwater pollution.â€Å"Today’s methods make gas drilling a filthy business. You know it’s bad when nearby residents can light the water coming out of their tap on fire,† says Larry Schweiger, president of the National Wildlife Federation. Whatâ €™s causing the fire is the methane from the drilling operations. A ProPublica investigation in 2009 revealed methane contamination was widespread in drinking water in areas around fracking operations in Colorado, Texas, Wyoming, and Pennsylvania. The presence of methane in drinking water in Dimock, Pa., had become the focal point for Josh Fox’s investigative documentary, Gasland, which received an Academy Award nomination in 2011 for Outstanding Documentary; Fox also received an Emmy for non-fiction directing. Fox’s interest in fracking intensified when a natural gas company offered $100,000 for mineral rights on property his family owned in Milanville, in the extreme northeast part of Pennsylvania, about 60 miles east of Dimock. Research by a team of scientists from Duke University revealed â€Å"methane contamination of shallow drinking water systems that is associated with shale-gas extraction.† The data and conclusions, published in the May 2011 issue of the prestigious Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, note d that not only did most drinking wells near drilling sites have methane, but those closest to the drilling wells, about a half-mile, had an average of 17 times the methane of those of other wells. â€Å"Some of the chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing—or liberated by it—are carcinogens,† Dr. Sandra Steingraber told members of the Environmental Conservation and Health committee of the New York State Assembly. Dr. Steingraber, a biologist and distinguished scholar in residence at Ithaca College, pointed out that some of the chemicals â€Å"are neurological poisons with suspected links to learning deficits in children,† while others â€Å"are asthma triggers. Some, especially the radioactive ones, are known to bioaccumulate in milk. Others are reproductive toxicants that can contribute to pregnancy loss.† An investigation by New York Times reporter Ian Urbina, based upon thousands of unreported EPA documents and a confidential study by the natural gas industry, concluded, â€Å"Radioactivity in drilling waste cannot be fully diluted in rivers and other waterways.† Urbina learned that wastewater from fracking operations was about 100 tim es more toxic than federal drinking water standards; 15 wells had readings about 1,000 times higher than standards. Research by Dr. Ronald Bishop, a biochemist at SUNY/Oneonta, suggests that fracking to extract methane gas â€Å"is highly likely to degrade air, surface water and ground-water quality, to harm humans, and to negatively impact aquatic and forest ecosystems.† He notes that â€Å"potential exposure effects for humans will include poisoning of susceptible tissues, endocrine disruption syndromes, and elevated risk for certain cancers.† Every well, says Dr. Bishop, â€Å"will generate a sediment discharge of approximately eight tons per year into local waterways, further threatening federally endangered mollusks and other aquatic organisms.† In addition to the environmental pollution by the fracking process, Dr. Bishop believes â€Å"intensive use of diesel-fuel equipment will degrade air quality [that could affect] humans, livestock, and crops.† Equally important are questions about the impact of as many as 200 diesel-fueled trucks each day bringing water to t he site and then removing the waste water. In addition to the normal diesel emissions of trucks, there are also problems of leaks of the contaminated water. â€Å"We need to know how diesel fuel got into our water supply,† says Diane Siegmund, a clinical psychologist from Towanda, Pa. â€Å"It wasn’t there before the companies drilled wells; it’s here now,† she says. Siegmund is also concerned about contaminated dust and mud. â€Å"There is no oversight on these,† she says, â€Å"but those trucks are muddy when they leave the well sites, and dust may have impact miles from the well sites.† Research â€Å"strongly implicates exposure to gas drilling operations in serious health effects on humans, companion animals, livestock, horses, and wildlife,† according to Dr. Michelle Bamberger, a veterinarian, and Dr. Robert E. Oswald, a biochemist and professor of molecular medicine at Cornell University. Their study, published in New Solutions, an academic journal in environmental health, documents evidence of milk contamination, breeding problems, and cow mortality in areas near fracking operation s as higher than in areas where no fracking occurred. Drs. Bamberger and Oswald noted that some of the symptoms present in humans from what may be polluted water from fracking operations include rashes, headaches, dizziness, vomiting, and severe irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat. For animals, the symptoms often led to reproductive problems and death. Significant impact upon wildlife is also noted in a 900-page Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) conducted by New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation. According to the EIS, â€Å"In addition to loss of habitat, other potential direct impacts on wildlife from drilling in the Marcellus Shale include increased mortality . . . altered microclimates, and increased traffic, noise, lighting, and well flares.† The impact, according to the report, â€Å"may include a loss of genetic diversity, species isolation, population declines . . . increased predation, and an increase of invasive species.† The report concludes that because of fracking, there is â€Å"little to no place in the study areas where wildlife would not be impacted, [leading to] serious cascading ecological consequences.† The impact of course affects the quality of milk and meat production as animals drink and graze near areas that have been taken over by the natural gas industry. The response by the industry and its political allies to the scientific studies of the health and environmental effects of fracking â€Å"has approached the issue in a manner similar to the tobacco industry that for many years rejected the link between smoking and cancer,† say Drs. Bamberger and Oswald. Not only do they call for â€Å"full disclosure and testing of air, water, soil, animals, and humans,† but point out that with lax oversight, â€Å"the gas drilling boom . . . will remain an uncontrolled health experiment on an enormous scale.† Bibliography of Works Cited: http://www.marcellusoutreachbutler.org/ http://www.counterpunch.org/2012/03/19/the-perils-of-fracking/ www.coalitiontoprotectnewyork.org http://psehealthyenergy.net/data/Bamberger_Oswald_NS22_in_press.pdf http://www.scribd.com/doc/97449702/100-Fracking-Victims http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/04/us/04natgas.html?pagewanted=all http://steingraber.com/ http://frack.mixplex.com/content/scientific-study-links-flammable-drinking-water-fracking http://www.hydraulicfracturing.com/Pages/information.aspx http://www.epa.gov/hydraulicfracture/ http://geology.com/articles/hydraulic-fracturing/

Vegetarianism :: Healthy Lifestyle Essay

Vegetarianism Vegetarianism is the limitation of ones diet to only vegetables. Vegetarianism has been around for centuries, but recently we have seen the eruption of a more militant vegetarianism that is inspired by the animal "rights" movement. Today, vegetarian activists are throwing pies at Ronald McDonald and the Pork Queen, scrawling "meat is murder" in prominent locations, committing terrorist acts of arson, and waging media campaigns equating meat consumption with cannibalism. Vegetarians are, on the average, far healthier than those who consume the typical Western diet, and enjoy a lower incidence of many chronic diseases. However, it has not been proven that one must eliminate meat from one's diet in order to be healthy. It has been aptly demonstrated that the typical Western diet contains too much fat. Eliminating meat from the diet is one way to reduce fat, but it is not the only way. Vegetarian diets have also been shown to increase the risk for nutrient deficiencies. Children are particularly vulnerable and can lead to growth problems. Vegetarian children often fail to grow as well as their omnivorous counterparts despite protein intakes. Ecological arguments against omnivorous and carnivorous eating are little more than an attempt by those from the less popular animal "rights" movement to ride the coattails of the more popular environmental movement. In some cases, warnings of impending environmental cataclysm are used to advance an ethical agenda. However, arguments to the effect that eating meat is "destroying the planet" overlook that the planet has not yet been destroyed despite millions of years of omnivorous and carnivorous eating by millions of individuals from a multitude of species. The Second Law of Thermodynamics dictates that some energy will be inevitably lost as one moves up the food web. Therefore, arguments about how it takes X pounds of plant protein to generate Y pounds of meat have a sound theoretical basis. However, these arguments are often overstated. These arguments falsely assume that pork chops and steak are the only products of animal agriculture. They falsely presume that a pound of animal foodstuffs is nutritionally and energetically equivalent to a pound of plant foodstuffs. These arguments also ignore the energy content and opportunity cost of replacing animal by-products, which is considerable. Even the animal's excrement is a valuable resource. Certain animal products, such as fetal calf serum, collagen and laminin are crucial for medical research using cell cultures, and have no available alternatives.

Equality and Diversity – the Way That People Describe Themselves and Others

Describe the individual factors that make a person who they are, by giving examples of each of the following factors: a) Physical characteristics b) Emotions c) Likes and dislikes d) Values and beliefs Each of us has different individual characteristics and factors, and it is the combination of these that make up who we are. The individual factors are made up of physical characteristics (what people see –examples might be our size, build, colour of hair or skin); emotions (the way in which you feel – examples might be confidence, shyness, an outgoing nature, or miserable); likes and dislikes (things you enjoy doing or those that you avoid – examples might be work, hobbies, sporting activities, cooking / eating, socialising); and values and beliefs (how the world appears to you – examples might be your religion, your moral code, your political beliefs, or your life choices in terms of education and employment). Resubmission: In relation to values and beliefs, these are essentially our moral make-up. They are the thoughts and beliefs by which we live our lives, and which will help to provide direction for us. Although they may develop as we progress from childhood into adulthood, our values and beliefs will generally tend to stay the same for much of our adult lives. Our values are ideas and moral views that we, as individuals, feel are very important to the way in which we live our lives, for instance the way in which we raise our children, or the way in which we value integrity and honesty in others. Our beliefs differ slightly in that they refer to ideas that we hold to be true, for instance religious or political views and ideology. Describe the ways in which someone might choose to describe themselves by giving examples of the following topics: a) Personal interests and characteristics b) Religious and cultural characteristics c) Geographic characteristics People are moulded to an extent by what they have seen and experience in their lifetimes, and this is something that can and will change as time moves on. When people are particularly interested or motivated by certain areas of life, hobbies or beliefs, they may choose to describe themselves by providing reference to that persuasion. For instance: †¢Personal interests and characteristics – As we progress through life, from child to adult, and then as we grow older, we develop interests in certain aspects of life and certain hobbies and pastimes. It may be that we develop these entirely independently of anyone else, but we are often guided and influenced by people we know or see. Our interests may be reflected in our membership of certain personal interest groups – for instance political parties, social groups or sporting groups. Someone with a particular interest in politics, and with particular political persuasion may choose to join a local political party, taking part in activities, and helping to campaign for certain political plans. They may then refer to themselves as a Conservative, for instance. Those who have a particular interest in community involvement may join a group such as the Rotary Club and help to organise charitable events. It may be that an ardent football or cricket fan joins a particular team as a member, thereafter referring to themselves by the name of the club (for example â€Å"A Gooner† (Arsenal FC)). , or a â€Å"Hell’s Angel†. In terms of personal characteristics, people may tend to refer to themselves by way of their characteristics, and these can be elements of a person’s make-up that they have not necessarily chosen or developed. These could be with regard to their emotional characteristics, perhaps describing themselves as â€Å"outgoing† or â€Å"funny†, or otherwise making reference to the way that they appear to others. They may also refer to themselves with regard to a particular personality trait, for instance their sexual persuasion. Some may refer to themselves by way of physical traits, for instance the colour of their hair, the size of their bodies, or a particular disability. †¢Religious and cultural characteristics – a person may refer to themselves in terms of their religion and belief (â€Å"I am a Christian / Jew / Muslim†). They may also choose to refer to themselves as being part of a particular cultural group, or as having particular cultural beliefs. For instance some may choose to describe themselves according to age group (for instance a teenager or pensioner), or with reference to their standing in society or perceived membership of a class group (working, middle or upper class), or perhaps with regard to their profession (for example tradesman, health worker). The cultural characteristics can also link in to an individual’s ideology or belief – it may be that they are a member of a particular belief group, such as Scientology, and therefore cal themselves a Scientologist; or they describe themselves as being of a particular political persuasion (â€Å"I am a Liberal†). Geographic characteristics – a person may describe themselves as being a member of a particular group based in a certain part of the Country. For instance, a â€Å"Geordie†, â€Å"Londoner†, or â€Å"Northerner† and â€Å"Southerner†. These groups carry with them a number of different identifiers: This cou ld be in terms of language and dialect used (one is often able to identify the geographic origin of those with particularly strong accents, or those using particular phrases); it may also be in terms of cuisine enjoyed within that particular region, the local sport, or perhaps the local customs and associated dress. In addition to these there has historically been differing geographic characteristics when it comes to employment and industry (for instance clay mining in the South West, coal mining in the northern areas of the UK, and steel making in areas such as Sheffield). All in all there are a number of different identifiers and characteristics that could be adopted by an individual as a result of where they originate from geographically. Explain what is meant by the following terms by completing the sentences: a) Dual discrimination means†¦ b) Positive discrimination means†¦ c) Discrimination arising from disability means†¦ ) Discrimination by association means†¦ e) Protected characteristics means†¦ a) Dual discrimination means being discriminated against for more than a single reason (eg race and religion). b) Positive discrimination means receiving favourable treatment as a result of one of their protected characteristics (eg level of service due to their age, or o ffer of a job due to gender). c) Discrimination arising from disability means being discriminated against as a result of having a disability. d) Discrimination by association means being discimnated against as a result of our association with another person or culture that is also receiving iscrimination. e) Protected characteristics means the personal / social characteristics that are protected from discrimination by law (gender / age / race / religion†¦ ). Make clear what it means to have multiple identities and then give three examples from people you know (not yourself) to illustrate your explanation of multiple identities. Having multiple or shared identities means that you are not just a member of a particaulr group or represent a single interest. People are made up of a number of different interests, beliefs, personal and geographical characteristics. Therefore when you describe yourself you would likely refer to a number of these identities in order to paint the full picture. For example: †¢A teacher, as well as a mother of two children, and a keen swimmer. †¢A doctor, as well as a cyclist, and a proud cook. †¢A schoolboy, older brother and keen gamer. Clearly explain what is meant by shared identities. Shared identities are interests or beliefs that we hold in common with a group of other people. This may be with regard to areas of life such as religion, sport, profession, or geographical area. Explain how an individual can identify themselves as belonging to a number of different groups. ) Give two examples for the above. An individual will almost certainly have interests, beliefs or membership that ties in with a number of different groups. As a result, they may choose to refer to any number of these when describing themselves as a person. For example: †¢I am a practising Christian and am also a proud North erner. †¢I am a pensioner, but still enjoy cycling with the Middlesex Marauders Any individual will almost certainly be a member of a number of different groups, either due to their specific ideals or beliefs, their physical and emotional characteristics, or their personal interests and characteristics. A number of these have been expanded upon in previous answers. A person may choose to describe themselves by reference to one or all of these membership groups. This may be with reference to personal interest groups – for instance political parties, social groups or sporting clubs. It may be with reference to personal characteristics, for instance their size, build, hair colour, emotional characteristics or sexual orientation. A person may refer to themselves in terms of their religion and belief. They may also choose to refer to themselves as being part of a particular cultural group, or as having particular political beliefs. An individual may also refer to themselves as coming from a particular geographic location, or as having originated from a particular demographic within society – for instance â€Å"a Northerner† or â€Å"a Geordie†. Two examples of using multiple groups as a way of describing yourself are as follows: †¢I am a practising Christian, a proud Northerner and am a founding member of the Lakeside lumberjacks. Here we see reference to a particular religious characteristic, in addition to a geographical characteristic and a personal interest characteristic. I am a pensioner, but still enjoy cycling with the Middlesex Marauders, and am a keen campaigner for the local Conservative party. Here we see examples of cultural (age and politics) characteristics, as well as personal interest characteristics. Write a description of yourself in terms of your own multiple identities. I am married and also a father of two children. I work locally as a police officer, a job that I entered after attending the University of Birmingham. I enjoy playing cricket as well as watching it, and am also a keen cyclist. I originate from Oxfordshire and have always lived in the South of England.

Giant Dreams, Midget Abilities Essay - 622 Words

David Sedaris writes about his experience taking guitar lessons in â€Å"Giant Dreams, Midget Abilities† after his father decided that he and his younger sisters should start a family music group. However, Sedaris has no desire to learn how to play guitar. His desire lies within singing jingles in the voice of Billie Holiday. Sedaris’ desire to sing in the voice of Billie Holiday is probably closely related to his sexual orientation, being gay, and his father’s passion for jazz music. There is an implication of femininity in Sedaris’ desire to mimic Billie Holiday’s voice. Billie Holiday was an American jazz singer whose career took off in the 1930s. Some would find it peculiar as to why any young boy would want to imitate the voice of†¦show more content†¦I’d done my solo and would now move on to pursue other equally unsuccessful ways of getting attention.† Singing in the voice of Billie Holiday seemed to be one of the few ways Sedaris thought he could express his feminine side comfortably. Unfortunately for him, being shot down by Mancini caused him to dispose of such a dream. Sedaris’ desire to sing like Billie Holiday can also be linked to his father’s passion for jazz music. His father loved jazz music almost to the point of obsessive-compulsiveness, where he’d sit down and analyze each note and the timing of the jazz songs playing on his record player, and although Sedaris claims to also love jazz, it wasn’t enough to convince his father. â€Å"Because it was the music we’d grown up with, I liked to think that my sisters and I had a genuine appreciation of jazz. We preferred it over the music our friends were listening to, yet nothing we did or said could convince my father of our devotion,† (p. 17) writes Sedaris. Singing like Billie Holiday might have been a way for Sedaris to be closer to his father, or at least allow the two of them to bond in a way based on a common interest. Because of the controversy about homosexuals, Sedaris probably wasn’t open about his sexuality with his father, thus not feeling close to him. In singing in the style of Billie Holiday, one could assume that it could be appreciated by any lover of jazz, such asShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Poem Giant Dreams, Midget Abilities By David Sedaris Essay2058 Words   |  9 PagesExpository Essay Analysis: â€Å"Giant Dreams, Midget Abilities David Sedaris is a popular comedic autobiographer who delivers intelligent and slightly embellished satirical content inspired from his memoirs and personal experiences. Sedaris’s short story â€Å"Giant Dreams, Midget Abilities†, is a magnificent mastery of his humorous writing style. The story is about David’s experience of him and his sisters being forced to take music lessons because of their father’s maniacal obsession to start a family jazzRead MoreThe Concept Of Misfits In Me Talk Pretty One Day By David Sedaris729 Words   |  3 PagesSedarises are the ones who are constantly with him and understand him well enough to put aside his abrasive language. Sedaris further explores the complexity of those who are misfits of society with his essay, Giant Dreams, Midget Abilities. Mister Mancini, Sedaris’ guitar teacher, was a midget. Sedaris describes his teacher in a way that makes him seem crass and unlikeable, but when he sees Mancini at the mall one day, his perception of his guitar teacher alters. Seeing Mancini be gawked at in theRead MoreIgbo Dictionary129408 Words   |  518 Pages -gbe à  kà  mà ¹ n. n. -do à  kanya -tá » ¥ à  kanya -tá » ¥ á » ¥nÃ… Ã¯â‚¬ § akanya n. n. n. n. n. à  kà  rà   à  kà  sà ¬Ã¯â‚¬ ¬ à  kà  taà  kà   à  kà  tà  kpo à  kà ¨le aká »â€¹lá »â€¹ka be distant, far, remote; be long (in time) kind of bead worn round neck; necklace; bead worn on wrist by renowned men dwarf; midget (cf. à  kà  kpà ²Ã¯â‚¬ ¥) male palace dwarf associated with EzÄ“ Ç ¸rà ¬ jigger; animal tick insect seen on unscrubbed mud floors year last year; old times; days of old pangolin, whose skin is used for medicine mockery; humiliation humiliate; disgrace: á »Å' bá » ¥lá » ¥ nà   nwokÄ“