Fracking, besides a misspelling of a curse word from Battlestar Galactica, is also being seen by some as a solution to both the world’s dwindling crude oil supply and America’s lust for oil. It will inevitably prove the creators of the Fallout video games are prophets.
According to an Associated Press article, fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, is causing an influx of workers in southern Texas and other parts of the country. A method of getting oil from shale, it has grown in popularity despite concerns of environmental and health issues.
The Detroit News wrote about Michigan’s new regulations regarding fracking, mainly using computers to ensure neighbors’ drinking water isn’t affected and prevent ecological disaster.
Such regulations will hopefully help keep things from turning into a BP Gulf of Mexico disaster. They’ll also have to disclose which chemicals they use, with the exception of ones deemed “trade secrets” by federal definition.
It’s nice to see Michigan diversifying its economy, though how beneficial fracking in Michigan will be, and for how long, are both questionable subjects. These two issues within Michigan’s burgeoning fracking industry reflect the greater issues facing the nation as a whole.
Environmental safety, long-term economic benefits and limiting reliance on foreign oil are all valid concerns. The true larger issue, however, the one fracking tries to deny, is the reliance on oil in the first place.
I’m not saying fracking is a bad idea. It’s a fine short-term solution that is debatably safe, and with our top oil import source being Canada, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, we’re not really in any serious danger when we wake up, flick off the Middle East, and wash our hands on the mess. Fracking looks like a winner in this regard. But, there are other environmental concerns and accusations of danger to the drinking supply.
Energy independence has been touted as a goal by the Republicans and Democrats since the Cold War and is considered a matter of national defense by some. Fracking gets us closer to energy independence but not freedom from oil. Doing both at the same time would be impossible.
The simple solution would be to rely as much as possible on domestic oil and work toward alternative fuels while doing so. The most obvious problem here is skyrocketing gas prices due to the laws of supply and demand. The second issue is willingness to use methods of alternative fuels that are actually viable, which is a long-term problem, and fracking is, at best, a medium-term solution.
There is no easy way to break our dependence on oil, but maybe we can reduce our dependence on foreign oil. If nothing else, it will help us avoid meddling in areas we have no place in. Granted, dependency on foreign oil and seeking alternative fuels are not really related issues. The two do share an economic connection, however. If we use domestic and locally national fuel, our money stays localized, and that helps the economy. That might be enough to spur funding into alternative fuel, and if not, at least it’ll make foreign diplomacy easier.
