“We are the Saudi Arabia of natural gas. » -Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., May 2010 Most know that Saudi Arabia has the largest amount of oil in the world. Most also know that the United States should reduce its oil consumption. What better way than to use the natural gas that the United States has stored in the ground. However, many people doubt the natural gas revolution. There have been several reports of water contamination as well as over a thousand documented cases of neurological, sensory, and respiratory damage near fracking wells. Linking hydraulic fracturing to several environmental issues such as water pollution and ecosystem disruption, the use of this technique should not occur. In an ExxonMobil ad, they explain how fracking works. “Once the necessary infrastructure is in place, a drilling rig is assembled and inspected to the required safety and environmental standards. » After drilling a hole about a mile and a half from the water table, layers of steel and cement are inserted. Next, a perforating device creates a small hole in the casing and rocks. Composed primarily of sand and water, a fluid, also called fracturing fluid, is pumped into the wellbore. The gas trapped inside the shale zone is released and brought to the surface where it can provide a cleaner source of energy for over a hundred years. (ExxonMobil). “A lot of people are excited about fracking because the United States has a lot of natural gas and fracking allows us to get natural gas that we couldn't get before. They say it is better to source fuel from our own country rather than from abroad. Hydraulic fracturing can also create many jobs, which our country needs. (“The Fracking Controversy”) Aubrey McClendon of Chesapeake Energy says, “Every company, big company, is in the middle of the paper…on top of the water called wastewater. » (“The Hydraulic Fracturing Controversy”). Works Cited Burns, Rebecca. “A heated debate.” In these times. August 2013: p. 8. Researcher on SIRS issues. Internet. April 22, 2014.ExxonMobil. Youtube. Np, and Web. April 24, 2014. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVJA36YGAEQ “Fracking Gas.” Narr. Dan Rather. Dan rather reports. April 13, 2010. Transcript. Electronic library. Internet. April 24, 2014. Heinberg, Richard. “America’s natural gas revolution is not all it’s cracked up to be.” Christian Science Monitor. October 23, 2013: np SIRS Issues Researcher. Internet. April 22, 2014. Slocum, Tyson. " Fracking up America | Interview with Tyson Slocum. " Interview conducted by Abby Martin. Youtube. Breakingtheset, July 25, 2013. Web. April 23, 2014. https://www.youtube/watch?v=xWppHgYTyz0. “The Hydraulic Fracturing Controversy.” » NewsNews Read to find out. January 28, 2013: np SIRS Discoverer. Internet. April 24. 2014.