Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 6.9. A poster announcing a demonstration against fracking in Spain, October
2012. Protests against fracking have accompanied the spread of this controversial
extraction method. Source: Zarateman at Wikimedia Commons.
Though a newcomer to the energy scene, fracking is already highly controversial, and
the water has been muddied by lobbying and polemics. Advocates of shale gas emphasize
that it could offer an affordable source of low-carbon energy (at least compared with
coal) to reduce dependence on coal and oil. A study conducted in 2012 by the University
of Texas found that all stages of the fracking process entailed environmental risks, and
that contamination had already occurred in numerous cases (Groat and Grimshaw 2012 ) .
A 2010 report by the Worldwatch Institute concluded that hydraulic fracturing does not
necessarily entail damage to human health and the environment, but that the risks are high
and therefore strict regulation is needed (Zoback et al. 2010 ).
6.4 The Nuclear Tangle
Masataka Shimizu, president of TEPCO, the company that operated the ill-fated
Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, was received harshly when he toured a temporary
shelter for 1,600 people a few weeks after the 2011 tsunami and nuclear meltdown. The
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