The Fracking Debate
Daniel Raimi
On the Friday December 15th, 2017 edition of WITF’s Smart Talk:
Hydraulic fracturing, or ‘fracking,’ is a method of accessing oil and natural gas; the process involves shooting a high-pressure mixture of water, sand and chemicals into underground formations to break open the rock and gain better access to the resources.
While this has created an economic boon for Pennsylvania and helped increase natural gas usage as a cleaner-burning energy source, fracking has also created myriad environmental concerns–from water contamination to earthquakes.
Senior research associate Daniel Raimi of Resources for the Future has captured the history and impact of the fracking industry in The Fracking Debate: The Risks, Benefits, and Uncertainties of the Shale Revolution.
WITF’s StateImpact Pennsylvania reporter Marie Cusick will speak with Raimi about fracking in Pennsylvania, and what the shale drilling boom means for human health and the U.S. economy.
WITF StateImpact reporter Marie Cusick
emails
– I think that your guest is quite remarkable. He is knowledgeable about the gas boom without being pro or con. He is simply supplying good information. What a refreshing situation! I’m sure that many of your listeners are saying that he doesn’t know what he’s talking about because he does not agree with their pre-conceived positions. Love information based discussion! – Lee, York
– This is a question from malinda harnish clatterbuck in martic township lancaster county:
Where did the funding come from for this project?
I would like to know the money behind the name of whatever he says…
– Malinda Harnish Clatterbuck
“When one tugs at a single thing in nature, one finds it attached to the rest of the world.” — John Muir
CMCL (Community Mennonite Church of Lancaster, Associate Pastor)
PACRN (PA Community Rights Network, Secretary)
LAP (Lancaster Against Pipelines, Executive Board Member)
– There needs to be less emphasis and discussion about energy sources and more about decreasing demand.
The problem is not obtaining more energy, it is using less. As Pogo said: “We have met the enemy, and he is us!” – Cynthia, Juniata County
