Two major world concerns today are the energy crisis and...

Two major world concerns today are the energy crisis and economic instability. Hydrofracking may be the key for finding the solution for both of these issues, because this technique allows the oil and gas areas which could not be developed previously to be productive. Cooley and Donnelly (2012), experts on global energy policy; state that the world natural gas reserves will be more than enough for the next 130 years, and the latest extraction technology of shale gas can bring a significant contribution to opportunities of gas industry. According to a report by the International Energy Agency (2012), if Europe and Asia countries follow the USA example in the development of shale gas production, gas reserves will sufficient for the next 250†¦show more content†¦Regardless of whatever the economic or political benefits may potentially be, it is the environmental and health issues surrounding the practice of hydraulic fracking that has drawn protests from activists and some comm unities. By far the most serious local environmental concern, and probably the most contentious, is ground water contamination. The potential risk to ground water comes from the natural gas extraction process by methane and by-products releasing. Hydrofraking technology often requires large volumes of fracturing fluid. For example, a single well may use up to 10 million gallons of water which, after being injected into the well, must be sucked back to the surface and treated (). This retrieved water is laden with harmful substances such as acids and radioactive elements. This use of chemicals is related to certain health complications on human beings. In 2010, Ohio’s citizens faced with some cases of water pollution caused by poor material quality and improper installation of containments or well casing (). Even more disturbing to some than possible groundwater contamination are air emissions of hydrocarbons and other pollutants. Methane which released during the extraction operations could accelerate the process of global warming. In addition, a rare but real risk related to well drilling and construction includes methane gas and vapor