The Dangers of Fracking Numerous American citizens have debated whether hydraulic fracturing (fracking) should be supported or banned. Hydraulic fracturing occurs when chemicals are pumped underground to break through rock and release gas/oil. The fracking industries generate about $70 billion from oil, a portion of which it contributes to the government. However, is the revenue worth the damage caused? Fracking has been a very controversial topic in recent months. Countries such as Germany, France, Spain, Bulgaria and Romania have all banned fracking. Should the United States jump on the bandwagon? Hydraulic fracturing causes pollution, damages the surrounding environment and wastes resources and money. Fracking should be banned in every state in the United States to ensure the safety of citizens and the environment. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Fracking leads to pollution. Excluding fracking, pollution is already a huge environmental problem. While some may refuse to believe it, fracking affects the environment in numerous ways. Toxic chemicals, including methane, are released into the air during the hydraulic fracturing process. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, methane has about twenty times greater impact on climate change than carbon dioxide. Air pollution is undoubtedly a major but often ignored obstacle. Humans and animals depend on air quality. Pollution should be prevented in every possible way. Therefore, fracking should be banned to reduce air pollution. Furthermore, fracking destroys the surrounding environment. First, you need to clear space to start a fracking settlement. Numerous trees are cut down, forcing the animals living in the area to move to another area. Animals also cannot survive near fracking settlements due to pollution, chemicals in rivers and food shortages as prey have abandoned the area. Wilderness areas are already declining at an alarming rate, and fracking is increasing it. Professor M. Bamberger and R. E. Oswald of Cornell University studied agricultural sites near fracking settlements. 60 cattle drank water from a stream that may have been contaminated with chemicals while 36 drank clean water. “Of the 60 cattle, 21 died and 16 failed to produce calves. Of the 36 cattle, no health problems were observed and only one cow failed to reproduce." It's very simple: many organisms are harmed by fracking settlements. But more importantly, the safety of nearby communities is also at risk. Water quality is contaminated by chemicals released by hydraulic fracturing. A Duke University study showed that the amount of methane is 17 times higher in wells within a kilometer of a fracking site than in households farther away. The safety of a community should come before the revenue earned from fracking. Finally, fracking wastes precious resources like water and money. According to the Ohio Environmental Council, one fracture would support a family for 51 years. The water used for fracking could be used for more valuable causes. Numerous children in Africa do not have access to clean water while hydraulic fracturing not only wastes a huge amount of water, but also contaminates more of it. Hydraulic fracturing also costs a lot. The energy used to drill kilometers into the ground costs a lot. However, i.