By Caitlyn Thibodeau, Staff Writer

Hydraulic fracturing for natural gas, better known as “Fracking,” has been a controversial topic in the news recently because of pros and cons surrounding this new form of obtaining fossil fuels.

Despite all of the talk surrounding Fracking, not many people actually know what it is, and what effects it can have on the environment.

According to What-Is-Fracking.com “Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, is the process of extracting natural gas from shale rock layers deep within the earth.”

This website claims that Fracking will result in both internal and external benefits to our country and suggests that it is a completely safe way to extract natural gas from underground. However, nowhere on this site does it give any indication that this method of extraction could pose a threat to the environment or the people that surround the site.

On the other side of the spectrum, DangersofFracking.com dives deeper into the chemicals used to undergo this process.

DangersofFracking.com asserts that during the process of Fracking, “methane gas and toxic chemicals leach out from the system and contaminate nearby groundwater.”

Furthermore, in the critically acclaimed documentary Gasland by Josh Fox, Fox travels to areas where Fracking occurs. During his travels, Fox uncovers a number of severe issues related to Fracking; such horrors included sickness and tap water catching fire. He asks his viewers to take action and speak out against Fracking and the negative impacts it has on our environment.

Like Fox, I ask you to look at the biological effects Fracking has on the environment and do research into exactly what it is and how it can affect the environment we live in. It’s easy to pretend like it’s not important when it’s not happening in your backyard, and it’s even easier to ignore when money is to be made in our capitalistic society. But, if we continue to let this go on it will eventually lead to detrimental environmental effects that may never be fixed. So get informed and speak out against Fracking.