Running head: THE PROS AND CONS OF FRACKING 1 THE PROS AND CONS OF FRACKING 10 The Pros and Cons of Fracking Toni Stewart Rasmussen College Author’s Note: The purpose of this paper is to discuss the two-sided debate of the Pros and Cons of Fracking. Written for Instructor Aisling Kane, on December 16, 2016 for course G328, Human Uses of the Environment. The Pros and Cons of Fracking The Controversy Oil and natural gas are highly essential commodities since they provide energy (fuel and electric) to drive industrial machinery, light up houses, businesses and drive motors among other uses. Oil drilled from the underground is processed to produce petroleum products and diesel which are utilized in operating vehicle engines. Therefore, every country requires oil and gas to maintain continuous economic development as well as steadily increase its revenue and productivity. These products are garnered from underground rocks that require the use of technologically advanced and sophisticated machinery to drill very deep wells into the ground. Fracking is a process used to extract natural gas and oil from shale rocks situated in great depths. This process incorporates the pumping of massive amounts of fluid with tremendously high pressure into the oil and gas- rich rocks. This research will offer detailed elucidations of information about fracking while reducing its advantages and disadvantages. Herein, a controversy arises between two adversary sides in which one side supports fracking while another opposes it by leaning on the disadvantageous realm of subject matter. The reason as to why fracking has triggered hot debates on a global scale is that it is highly beneficial and efficient in obtaining vast amounts of oil and gas while at the same time constitutes hazardous effects on the environment and earth’s geography. For instance, fracking has been evidently proven to contribute significantly to earth tremors and quakes. On one side of the controversy, the environmentalists and geologists oppose fracking due to its adversity against the traditional livelihood of wildlife and humanity. They tend to value environmental wellness as an essential aspect than economic development which the other side dearly values. The Major Players The major players in this controversy are associated with the advantages and disadvantages of the fracking process and include individuals or parties which have differing ideologies about whether fracking is a good thing or not. The first side bases its arguments on the numerous benefits that fracking brings forth to a country. Some of these include the creation of more job opportunities and reduction in the price of energy. This prospect considers economic development as a highly important prerequisite that should be mandatorily adopted whenever necessary. This side incorporates economists, financial organizations, large corporations (governmental and non-government owned) and industrial sectors s ...