Fracking News

Amount of water used for fracking has reached a 'tipping point' By Karen Graham As the fracking boom matures, the drilling industry's use of water and other fluids to produce oil and natural gas has grown dramatically in the past several years, outstripping the growth of the fossil fuels it produces.

Quebec to ban shale fracking, limit oil-and-gas exploration By Karen Graham The Quebec government will ban fracking for shale gas and impose stricter rules when it comes to the exploration, extraction, and storage of oil and gas.

Scientists create AI system to detect and locate earthquakes By Karen Graham The state of Oklahoma has seen a rise in the number of earthquakes, many of them believed to be caused by the fracking boom. Before 2009, earthquakes above magnitude 3.0 in the state went from fewer than three a year to as many as 903 in 2015.

Does fracking adversely impact on drinking water? By Tim Sandle New research suggests a negative impact of hydraulic fracturing, intended to extract gas and oil, upon streams, plus downstream recreation water and drinking water. The research has been led by the University of Central Arkansas.

Has U.S. fracking destroyed Canada's oil and gas industry? By Karen Graham The fracking boom in the U.S. has helped to increase oil exports and reduce America's dependence on foreign oil. However, an unforeseen consequence of America's drive to be an energy leader has hurt our neighbor to the North.

Trump administration moves to repeal fracking regulations By Karen Graham The Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has gone ahead with its proposal to rescind the 2015 final rule on hydraulic fracturing on federal and tribal lands. The proposal was published July 25 in the Federal Register.

Ireland joins three other EU nations in banning fracking By Karen Graham Ireland is now set to ban fracking after its Senate passed legislation on Wednesday that outlawed the controversial practice. Ireland now joins three other European Union countries - France, Germany, and Bulgaria - to ban fracking on land.

Fracking comes to Alaska, triggering new oil boom By Karen Graham Prudhoe Bay - The Arctic region hold great allure for global oil companies, despite opposition from green groups and Obama's 2016 ban on drilling in federal Arctic waters. However, over the past year, huge oil reserves have been found on Alaska's North Slope.

Geothermal energy — How we harness this energy source (Part 2) By Karen Graham In Part 1 of our look into the Earth's heat energy as a renewable energy source, we discovered this heat has been used for millennia to bathe us and in creating mechanical power. Let's look at the ways we are extracting this energy for electricity.

Geothermal energy — An under-exploited energy source (Part 1) By Karen Graham In our search for clean, cost-effective sources of renewable energy to mitigate the effects of climate change, one source of that energy has been right under our feet all along — Geothermal energy is not only clean and sustainable, but it is eco-friendl

Op-Ed: Election hacking report objects to Russian critique of fracking By Ken Hanly The Office of the Director of National Intelligence has a substantial section in its report on 2016 U.S. election hacking by Russia that focuses upon the Russian govenrment-funded channel RT as overtly anti-American.

EPA agrees that fracking has a potential impact on drinking water By Karen Graham Weeks away from getting a new chief who is fracking-friendly, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finally released its final report on the threat posed to our drinking water by fracking.

Groundbreaking study shows link to fracking and earthquakes By Karen Graham Fox Creek - In a University of Calgary study of earthquakes west of Fox Creek, Alberta, the geoscientists discovered a link between fracturing, or fracking, and earthquakes in the region.

Controversial new fracking to go ahead in U.K. By Tim Sandle The path is clear for fracking to go ahead in the U.K. after the British government upheld a fracking appeal in what is being heralded as a landmark ruling, paving the way for shale gas extraction.

New genus of bacteria found in fracking wells By Tim Sandle Dig deep and there are potentially hundreds of bacteria on Earth that have yet to be discovered or characterized. One recent discovery relates to fracking where a new genus of bacteria has been discovered.

Okla. earthquake forces shutdown of fracking disposal wells By Karen Graham Pawnee - The Oklahoma Corporation Commission has ordered 35 toxic waste disposal wells shut down because they may have played a role in the 5.6 magnitude earthquake that was felt in six states on Saturday.

Feds blame railroad for oil train derailment, spill in Oregon By Nathan Salant Portland - Calls for a U.S. ban on shipping oil by train got louder last week after federal investigators put the blame for a June 3 oil train derailment on Union Pacific Railroad.

UK anti-fracking groups to fight on after landmark decision By AFP London - Campaigners in Britain said Tuesday they would take their fight against fracking national after the first scheme since 2011 was given the green light.

Duke study: Fracking has poisoned North Dakota's soil and water By Karen Graham Durham - A study of 3,900 fracking waste-water spill sites in North Dakota has revealed that soil and water contamination is widespread and persistent, endangering the health of humans, wildlife and the environment.

Australian river near fracking site bursts into flames By Megan Hamilton Chinchilla - In a protest against coal seam gas leaking into South West Queensland's Condamine River, NSW Greens MP Jeremy Buckingham headed to the river and hopped on a boat. Then he sparked a lighter a few inches above the water and the river burst into flames.

Fracking puts 7.9 million people at risk of man-made earthquakes By Megan Hamilton Oklahoma City - About 7.9 million people are now at risk from man-made earthquakes, especially in parts of Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, and Arkansas according to the U.S. Geological Survey in a report issued earlier this week.

Public outcry spurs Florida to drop Everglades fracking bill By Megan Hamilton Florida environmentalists have had a bit of good news after state lawmakers, bowing to public outcry, unexpectedly dropped a bill backed by the oil industry that would have promoted fracking in the ecologically sensitive Everglades.

EPA report saying fracking is safe doubted by its own scientists By Business Insider An Environmental Protection Agency report released in June on the impacts of fracking on water quality is now being called into question — by none other than the agency's own scientists.

Canadian regulator: 4.6 magnitude quake caused by fracking By Kesavan Unnikrishnan British Columbia's energy regulator has confirmed that a 4.6 magnitude earthquake in northeast British Columbia in August was caused by fracking and is likely to be the largest fracking-induced seismic event ever recorded.

Fracking dispute heats up in U.S. By Tim Sandle The controversial practice of fracking is at the center of a new health debate in the U.S. This is over whether the practice pose a risk of causing silicosis.

The 'myths' persist over human-caused seismic activity By Karen Graham Human-caused seismic activity creates "induced earthquakes." There are a number of myths surrounding the cause of these Earth tremors, and there are a number of misconceptions, too. One geologist tries to explain what is fact and what is fiction.

Wave Home Solutions is making waves in clean air and water By Holly L. Walters The world we live in is changing every day, and not all these changes are for the better. Decisions are being made that result in actions which change the way people interact with the planet, and the thing is that not everyone has a say in these changes.

Oil and gas operations dumping hazardous waste into rivers By Karen Graham Scientists have documented two new potentially hazardous contaminants, ammonium and iodide, in oil and gas production wastewater being discharged into rivers and streams in Pennysylvania, from both convential drilling operations and fracking.

Citing health concerns, New York state bans fracking By Brett Wilkins Albany - New York state's environmental commissioner announced on Wednesday that he will ban hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as fracking, due to health concerns associated with the controversial fossil fuel extraction technique.

Study shows leaking wells, not fracking, causes tainted water By Karen Graham Based on a new study, it wasn't fracking that caused contamination of groundwater in Pennsylvania and Texas. It was leaky pipes and cement casements transporting the methane gas to the surface that caused the tainted water.

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