Is Fracking Hastening a Water Crisis?

In a five-year period, some "358 billion gallons of water" was used in U.S. hydraulic fracturing or fracking that translates to "an amount equal to the annual water needs of 200 mid-sized cities," based on a recent report by Ceres, a nonprofit interested in global sustainability ("Over Half of U.S. Fracking Wells Are in Water-Stressed Areas, Report Says," Mashable, October 6, 2016). "About 57 percent of the nearly 110,000 shale gas wells" are in areas where water is not plentiful, such as California, Texas, Colorado, and Oklahoma.

Review selected hard copy/online library books related to hydraulic fracturing or fracking at LSC-CyFair Branch Library. Click the title of a listed item, select the "Place Hold" button in the listing, and enter your library card number and PIN for each title you want to request for pick up at the library.

Use these subject words and phrases to find more information in the library catalog:

• Fracking
• Gas well drilling
• Gas wells
• Hydraulic fracturing
• Shale gas industry

The Green and the Black: The Complete Story of the Shale Revolution, the Fight over Fracking, and the Future of Energy by Gary Sernovitz
St. Martin's Press, 2016.
call number: 333.823 Ser

"Sernovitz explains the reality of fracking: what it is, how it can be made safer, and how the oil business works. Sernovitz also tells the bigger story. Fracking was just one part of a shale revolution that shocked our assumptions about fueling America's future. . .America, once again the largest oil and gas producer in the world, has altered its balance of power with Russia and the Middle East. Yet the shale revolution is not without its infamous downsides. It has disrupted local communities, raised fears of pollution, and prolonged the world's use of fossil fuels. Is there any way to reconcile the costs with the benefits of fracking? To do so, we must start by understanding fracking and the shale revolution in their totality. This book bridges the gap in America's energy education." - publisher's summary excerpt

The Human and Environmental Impact of Fracking: How Fracturing Shale for Gas Affects Us and Our World edited by Madelon Lubin Finkel
Praeger, 2015
call number: 363.738 Hum

Contributors writing the chapters:
"* Offer a comprehensive, impartial understanding of unconventional natural gas development from many different perspectives by experts in the field
* Draw from the findings of the most up-to-date research and discusses areas where scientific findings are yet unclear
* Address fracking's potential effects on humans, animals, and environmental factors including air quality, water quality, and climate change
* Explain the economic, legal, regulatory, and ethical issues surrounding fracking
* Examine social and community issues and the industry perspective" - publisher's summary excerpt

A Field Philosopher's Guide to Fracking: How One Texas Town Stood Up to Big Oil and Gas by Adam Briggle

Liveright Publishing, 2015
call number: 363.119 Bri

"When philosophy professor Adam Briggle moved to Denton, Texas,
he had never heard of fracking. Less than three years later he would
successfully lead a citizens' initiative to ban hydraulic fracturing in
Denton--the first Texas town to challenge the oil and gas industry. . .Briggle brings us to town hall debates and neighborhood meetings where citizens wrestle with issues few fully understand." - publisher's summary excerpt