"Hydraulic Fracturing: Is Regulation Needed?" synthesis

This peer reviewed article relates directly to Lustgarten’s article about hydraulic fracturing. It tells of some programs and acts that deals with water conditions and safety, as well as fracturing. There are apparently some regulations in place, but the extent differs from state to state. For example, it has been stated that hydraulic fracturing produces methane via production wells not injection wells and this is why it isn’t covered in regulations that are already in place. “Approximately 35,000 wells are hydraulically fractured in the United States each year” (Pontius, 4) but research is limited. This may be because people are not highly convinced that hydraulic fracturing is an issue regarding safe drinking water. However, just as in Lustgarten’s work, Pavilion, Wyoming was discussed. The foul taste and odor of the groundwater was reported by its residents and as a result samples were taken and contaminants that traces back to fracking were found. This process of fracking has claimed to be safe for 60 years, but research is proving otherwise. In my opinion fracking should be closely regulated to protect our groundwater.

Pontius, Fred. "Hydraulic Fracturing: Is Regulation Needed?." Journal: American Water Works Association 101.9 (2009): 24-32. Computers & Applied Sciences Complete. Web. 30 Sept. 2012.

Hydraulic Fracturing

            The Environmental Protection Agency has discovered reasons to indeed believe that hydraulic fracturing is the cause of water pollution in the Pavilion, Wyoming vicinity. Over the years there have been some complaints regarding the water quality in this area. In 2004 some issues were reported about the discoloring of the water and even more recently in 2010 another confirmed contaminations led to replacement water having to be provided to the residents. Based on samples from residents’ drinking wells there have been traces of hydrocarbons, carcinogens as well as about 10 other compounds that are thought to be related to fracking. This of course isn’t satisfactory. These findings completely falsify the belief that hydraulic fracturing was a safe process to perform in relation to the environment. The drilling industry gave the impression that hydraulic pressure would naturally force fluids down and that deep geologic layers were so tight that they would prevent chemicals from rising to the surface. However, this apparently isn’t true since these are the same chemical infecting local water resources

This article raised awareness to me and I am now concerned. The water my family, friends, peers and I drink could contain similar chemicals or even different chemical that could affect our health. This is a scary thing to think about especially knowing that the industries contributing to water contamination knows that what they partake in could causes harmful changes in the water but they aren’t willing to publicize this information or better yet stop doing it. The Environmental Protection Agency has supportive data in the Wyoming case that points the finger at hydraulic fracturing but I am sure that is not the only manmade contribution to the negative chemicals in water sources. Therefore, I think it is important to investigate in great detail each harmful issue and then do something about it.

Richard Kahn's Outlook

I indeed believe that our education is set up to be unequal. However, I don't think it is really as unequal as it seems and was set up to be. Yes, private schools are supposed to provide more quality education than public schools. This is why they cost to attend and another reason is because only wealthy folks can afford to pay for education when it is not totally necessary. Starting here the cycle is set up to be as follows: wealthy parents send their children to private school for a majority of their life for better education, then they graduate with the ability to get accepted to a prestigious private university, succeed there then become capitalist. This happens while "average" children get the "average" education, then attend "average" universities to become nothing more than average and confined to the social class that they have been in their entire life, under the wealthy. Private schools have a different curriculum and way of doing things, this is true. However, in my personal opinion I don't think that necessarily means that public schools provide any less of an education. How well a person performs in the school system is based on their individual self no matter what kind of school they attend. A student in a public school is just as capable as a private school student to get into schools such as Duke and Wake Forest. I believe that if I applied to either of those schools I had a great chance of being accepted. Actually a friend of mine who graduate from a private high school did not even get into NC State when on the other hand I did and I only went to an "average" high school located near a low income neighborhood. Therefore, it is possible for me to graduate and become a capitalist as well if I really desired to. The education system could use improvement though maybe based on what’s in the curriculum and what actually needs to be taught in this day and time that we live in. Fortunately, this education system of promoting inequality is not all what its set up to be.

 

more about turtle island

Today I just flipped through Turtle Island and stopped to read random poems. Oddly enough, they each seemed to be about trees. I recall Ethnobotany the best out of all of them. I remembered it talking about oak trees in specifically. It told of some that fell over, some that were cut down by mankind and some that died. It also went on to discuss two types of mushrooms, whether they were safe or not to eat. In entirety I believe this poem was to make the negative things that happen to our environment known but to also teach the readers something. In a way it was a message to us to learn more about nature, teach others and for everyone to embrace it. Therefore, again this poem was about awareness.

Place and Awareness in Turtle Island

In Turtle Island, the poems O Waters, Gen, For the Children and As for the Poets, brought to my attention the themes of environment, place and awareness. Just as before he carefully explained to the readers how everything looked in nature from flowers and water to hills and moutains. However, he also wrote about the future of the environment and if humans wanted to survive the altered Earth they needed to be aware. They needed to know what to do when they are face to face with nature so to speak. I got the idea that he felt people should be aware mostly out of the poem For the Children. Based on the topics he chose to discuss and how he discusses them makes it obvious that enviornment, place and awareness are themes in Turtle Island.

Turtle Island Themes

For me the poems in Turtle Island are more complex to understand than they appear. Yes, they’re short but it’s so much meaning and thought behind them regarding the world because of humans and their lack of concern for nature. I notice that Gary Snyder describes everything he mentions in great detail. I read Anasazi, Without, The Dead by the Side of the Road and The Way West, Underground. He focuses heavily on the surrounding area, like where everyone and everything is going and what they're trying to do. The environment, people and animals seem to be important to him. In his poems he captures so much that the audience is able to imagine what he's describing very vividly.  Thus, place is a main theme displayed, this far, in the poems I have read.