The Dangers of Hydraulic Fracturing Many American citizens have debated whether hydraulic fracturing (fracking) should be supported or banned. Hydraulic fracturing involves pumping chemicals underground to break through a rock and release the gas/oil. Fracking industries generate about $70 billion from oil, some of which goes to the government. However, are the revenues commensurate with the damage caused? In recent months, fracking has been a very controversial topic. Countries like Germany, France, Spain, Bulgaria and Romania have all banned fracking. Should the United States jump on the bandwagon? Hydraulic fracturing causes pollution, harms the environment and wastes resources and money. Hydraulic fracturing should be banned in every state in the United States to ensure the safety of citizens and the environment. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Hydraulic fracturing leads to pollution. Aside from fracking, pollution is already a huge environmental problem. Although some refuse to believe it, fracking affects the environment in many ways. Toxic chemicals, including methane, are released into the air during the fracking process. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, methane has about twenty times greater impact on climate change than carbon dioxide. Air pollution is undoubtedly a significant, but often overlooked, obstacle. Humans and animals depend on air quality. Pollution must be avoided by all possible means. So, fracking should be banned to reduce air pollution. Additionally, hydraulic fracturing disrupts the environment. First, we need to free up space to install a fracking colony. Many trees are cut down, forcing animals living in the area to move to another area. Additionally, animals cannot survive near fracking facilities due to pollution, chemicals in rivers, and lack of food since prey have left the area. Wilderness is already decreasing at an alarming rate, and fracking is increasing it. Professor M. Bamberger and RE Oswald of Cornell University studied agricultural sites near fracking settlements. 60 cattle drank water from a stream that may have been infected with chemicals, while 36 cattle drank clean water. “Of the 60 cattle, 21 died and 16 failed to produce calves. Of the 36 cattle, no health problems were observed and only one cow failed to reproduce. It's very simple: many organisms are damaged by fracking settlements. More importantly, the safety of neighboring communities is also at risk. Water quality is contaminated by chemicals released by fracking. A Duke University study showed that methane is 17 times higher in drinking water wells located within a mile of a fracking site than in households further away. The safety of a community must come before the revenue generated by fracking. Finally, fracking wastes valuable resources such as water and money. According to the Environmental Council of Ohio, a fracture would be enough..