AnnotatedBibliography

DoesHydraulicFracturingImposeMajorEnvironmentalandHealth
Risks?

BrookeAuten

ProfessorMalcolmCampbell

UniversityWriting1103

March15,2016


BrookeAuten
AnnotatedBibliography
Centner,TerenceJ.,andNicholasS.Eberhart.TheUseofBestManagementPracticestoRespondto
ExternalitiesFromDevelopingShaleGasResources.
JournalofEnvironmentalPlanningand
Management.
(2015)p.74668.Web.13March,2016.
ThisissourceisascholarlyarticlethatIaccessedthroughUNCCharlotte'sLibrarydatabase.This
pieceisbiasedbecauseitspeaksofallthebadthingsthatisaresult,orwillbearesult,fromthe
continuousnessoffracking.Thewritingcoversamultitudeoftopicsincluding:dangersandrisks
associatedwithfracking,thereleasesofairpollutants,thelackofscientificallybasedinformation
mostpeoplehave,andthelackofgovernmentaloversightwhenitcomestothedangersof
extractingshalegas.Thepiecestatesthattheregulationsputinplaceareoutofdate,thusallowing
shalegasindustriestocontinuewithlittleregardtosafety.Theauthorgoesontomentionthe
harmfulchemicals,likemethane,thatcancontaminatedrinkingwater.Also,hydraulicfracturing
releasesairpollutants,accordingtotheauthor,andsomeofthesepollutantsthatarereleasedare:
methane,benzene,toluene,ethylbenzene,nitrogenoxides,andhydrogensulfide.Itisalsostated
thatprovingharmanddangersoffrackingisverydifficulttodo,andthegovernmentdoesnotdo
verymuchtoacknowledgehowharmfulfrackingcouldbe.Thissourceisdifferentthanmyother
sourcesbecauseitmentionsavarietyofissuesthatareinvolvedinfracking.Ilikehowitexplains
variousconcernsonthetopicbecausemostothersourcesIhavereadareon,forexample,justthe
contaminationfrackingcausesonwater.Itissimilartotheoneofmyothersourcesinthesensethat
itisverybiasedandagainstfracking.Thissourcewillbeusedinmyoverallprojectbecauseithasa

varietyofinformationthatcouldhelpme,ifIwanted,toargueagainstfracking.Thisarticle,after
readingtheunbiasedNPRpiece,shiftedmyopinionsalittlebitmoreinthedirectionofbeing
againstfracking.IfIargueagainsttheusehydraulicfracturinginmyoverallproject,itwouldbe
usefultotouchonthepointsmadeinthispiecetohelpbettermyargument.

MacMillan,Hugh.WithFiveMoreYearsofBusinessasUsual,FrackingwillBoosttheCarbon
Budget.
FoodandWaterWatch.
N.P,08December2015.Web.13March2016.
Thissourceisfromareliablewebsiteandservestoinformtheaudienceonthethreatthatthe
environmentfacesduetohydraulicfracturing.Thisarticledescribestheincreaseinglobal
temperaturesandstatesthattheIntergovernmentalPanelonClimateChange(IPCC)warnsthata
riseinglobaltemperaturesby1.5degreescelsius,ormore,isextremelydangerous.Iffracking
continues,itwillmakeitnearlyimpossibletostoptheclimatefromraisingbelow1.5degrees
celsiustheglobaltemperaturehasalreadyrisenby1degreecelsius.Thearticlearguesthatnatural
gas,beingmostlymethane,isleakingfromprocessingplantscompressorstationsmakingitasbad
asburningcoalandusingoil.TheauthortouchesontheIPCCscarbonbudget,andexplainshow
muchcarbondioxideemissionsarereleasedfromburningnaturalgasandfromhydraulicfracturing
andthatitgoesovertheirbudget.Thearticlespointofviewargueswiththeoilindustry'sviewson
hydraulicfracturing,whichisthatfrackingisharmlessandmuchmoreresourceful.Thearticle
stronglydisagreeswithclaimsoffrackingbeingandsafe,andendsthepiecetryingtopersuadeto
thereaderbysaying,asnation,welackthepoliticalwilltorecognizeandtakeseriouslythethreat
thatfrackinghastoourenvironment.Thesourcefitsinwithmyresearchbecauseitexplainsthe
impactfrackinghasonclimatechange,andgivesinsightintotheperspectiveofthosewhoare

againsthydraulicfracturing.Thisarticleopenedmyeyestofactssuchasscientistwantingtokeep
globaltemperaturesfromrisingto1.5degreescelsius,andthecarbonbudget.Thissourcewill
appearinmyprojectbecauseIlikethepointsittouchedon,andIlikethatitfocusesonclimate
changeratherthanthemaintopicwhenitcomestofracking,whichiswater.

Martin,Rachel.BothSidesClaimVictoryOverEPAFrackingStudy.
NPR
.NPR,7June.2015.
Web.13March.2016.
ThisnewsradiosourcesaddressadraftreportsentfromtheEnvironmentalProtectionAgency
(EPA)thatclaimsarecentstudyhasshownthattherehasnotbeenanywidespreadeffecton
drinkingwaterduetohydraulicfracturing.NPRsnationalcorrespondent,JeffBrady,spokewith
NPRandstatedthatthestudyfocusedsolelyonthepollutionofwater,andthisisnotdetermining
whetherornotfrackingdoesnoharmtotheenvironment.TheEPAclaims,however,certain
proceduresinvolvedinfrackingneedtobemonitoredcarefully,suchastheamountofwaterthatis
usedinthefrackingprocess.Thissourceisundoubtedlyunbiasedwhenitcomestodiscussingthe
subject.Inthesource,itspecificallymentionsthatthereare,infact,manycasesoffrackingcausing
waterpollution.TheEPAsstudy,however,specificallyfocusedonthewidespreadeffectandnot
onindividualcasesorwaterpollution.TheresultsfromtheEPAsclaimhasleftindividuals,forthe
mostpart,unmovedintheiropinionsandstickingwiththeirpreviousnotionsonfracking,Brady
tellsNPR.Thissourceisdifferentthanothersbecause,likepreviouslystated,itisextremely
unbiasedwhenaddressingtheresultsofastudy.AlloftheothersourcesthatIhavecameacross
thataddressfrackingareveryonesidedandbiased.Thissourcewasverystraightforwardwith
addressingtheoutcomeoftheEPAsstudyandisrelevanttomytopicbecauseitprovedthat

hydraulicfracturinghasnotcausedanywidespreaddamagetothewater.Thatisimportantforme
toknowbecauseitistheoutcomeofareliable,governmentalorganizationsstudy.Thissourcewill
influencemyopiniononthiscontroversybecauseitsurprisedmetoknowthathydraulicfracturing
hasnolongtermeffectoverall.Afterreadingovertheradiosegment,myopinionsshiftedslightly
inthesensethatIdonotthinkfracturingcausesimmediate,majorpollutiontoourwaters.
Although,IstillthinkthefrackingprocessisathreattotheenvironmentandIwishthattheEPA
wouldhaveconductedamoreindepthstudythatfocusednotjustonwater,andnotjustonthe
widespreadeffect.Iwouldliketopossiblyusethissourceinmyprojectsinceitdisplaysresults
fromastudydonebytheEnvironmentalProtectionAgency.

Vinik,Danny.FrackingIsGoodforAmericanConsumers.The
NewRepublic.
TheNewRepublic,
20March2015.Web.14March2016.
ThisisanewsarticlesourcethatarguesfortheuseofhydraulicfracturingintheU.S.Thearticle
hasanobviousrightwingviewonthecontroversy.Thearticleexplainsthatsincethesupplyin
naturalgashasrisen,thepriceshavelowered.AccordingtoHausmanandKellogg,twopeoplewho
werequotedinthisnewsarticle,frackingbenefitedresidentialconsumersby$11billionperyear,
industrialconsumersby$22billion,andelectricpowerconsumersby$25billion.Thearticledidnot
discussanyenvironmentalimpactsthatfrackinghas,orwill,hadontheenvironment,butonly
touchesontheeconomicbenefit.Althoughtheauthormadesomegoodpoints,forexample,the
shalegasrevolutionleadingtoanincreaseinwelfarefornaturalgasconsumersandproducersof$48
billionperyear.Thearticledidnot,inanyway,shiftmyopiniononthetopicofmyresearchandI
donotplantousethissourceinmyfinalprojectonhydraulicfracturing.