The Dual-Edged Sword of Fracking: Unpacking the Economic Upsurge and Environmental Downfall in US and China’s Energy Sectors

Commentary | The surge in fracking in the US and China is transforming the worldwide energy industry, but at what price?

Despite the highly promoted fiscal advantages of fracking, we must not overlook the damage it inflicts on the environment and public well-being.

Fracking is a process that entails pumping water, sand, or chemicals into a well to shatter the compressed layers of bedrock and sand beneath the earth's surface. This allows for the removal of natural gas and unrefined oil. Moreover, this technique can also be utilized to pull out oil and gas from underneath the ocean floor.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reports that the number of fracking wells in the U.S. surged from approximately 23,000 in 2000 to 300,000 in 2015. This spike accounted for 50% of the country's crude oil output.