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Why is fracking controversial? Trump signs order to protect drilling, Internet says he is 'stuck in the past'

'Biden’s plan to Abolish American Energy is an economic death sentence for Pennsylvania. A vote for Biden is a vote to ban fracking & send PA into a nightmare of poverty & depression,' Trump tweeted

President Donald Trump has once again slammed Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden. In his latest series of tweets, the POTUS said "a vote for Biden" is a vote to "ban fracking".

"Biden’s plan to Abolish American Energy is an economic DEATH SENTENCE for Pennsylvania. A vote for Biden is a vote to BAN FRACKING & send PA into a nightmare of poverty & depression. Gas prices would explode & family incomes would plummet—I will always defend & promote PA energy," Trump tweeted on Saturday, October 31. In another tweet he wrote: "Just signed an order to protect fracking and the oil and gas industry. This means JOBS, low energy bills, and continued AMERICAN ENERGY INDEPENDENCE! Sleepy Joe would BAN fracking and destroy American energy jobs! He has NO clue!!"

As soon as his comments came to light, people started slamming him. One user said, "Noe it a win in clean energy and thousands of great paying jobs." Another wrote, "The FUTURE is RENEWABLE ENERGY You don’t seem to understand that. That’s why in 72 HOURS, You’re FIRED."

One replied to Trump's tweet saying, "Fact check: Joe Biden isn't "abolishing" "American energy." not even close. Biden is calling for a fracking ban on government lands only. instead of lying about Biden, how about running on your own record of 9,000,000 covid infections and 230,000 deaths and 22 million unemployed." Another commented, "Please quit spamming Twitter and pack your Louis Vuitton bags up already, Thank you!"

Oil and gas businessman Laique Rehman said, "A vote for Biden is a death sentence to the economies of Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and all the oil producing States This will kill our jobs not only in the Oil and Gas production but also in the downstream manufacturing sector that was bringing back our lost jobs." "The entire world is developing green energy . Which creates new jobs . Trump wants to continue to subsidize oil and coal jobs . Biden is forward looking . Trump is stuck in the past," read another tweet.

Why is fracking controversial?

According to a BBC report, "Fracking is the process of drilling down into the earth before a high-pressure water mixture is directed at the rock to release the gas inside. Water, sand and chemicals are injected into the rock at high pressure which allows the gas to flow out to the head of the well. The process can be carried out vertically or, more commonly, by drilling horizontally to the rock layer, which can create new pathways to release gas or used to extend existing channels. The term fracking refers to how the rock is fractured apart by the high-pressure mixture."

Drilling organizations suggest trillions of cubic feet of shale gas may be recoverable from underneath parts of the USA through "fracking". Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is a procedure designed to produce gas and oil from shale rock. The process remains in controversy because of its adverse effects on the environment like:

Environmental damage: Using the method of fracking instead of green energy sources is not compatible with climate-friendly energy initiatives. Fracking is said to be much less efficient than any other sourced gas.

Water transportation and contamination: Fracking requires a lot of quantity of water (the equivalent of 16 Olympic swimming pools). The cost of transportation of water to the sites is significant. Transportation of water from the nearby areas also results in a shortage of clean water in the areas. Apart from that, companies claim that the water mixture pumped into shale rock comprises of carcinogenic chemicals. This water, if it escapes from the fracking boreholes or leaks into any local water supply, could possibly contaminate local groundwater supplies.

Air quality: Methane is discharged into the atmosphere while the process of fracking. This can be harmful to air quality, as methane is about 25 times more efficient in trapping heat than carbon dioxide. In addition, fracking sites raise emissions from transport, construction, and waste disposal, having an even greater impact on air quality.

Accidents, leaks, and explosions: With fracking, there is a danger of accidents. In the US alone, a 10-year period examined over 6,000 leaks from fracking sites. Fracking may also grow the chances of oil spills, which can have a seriously damaging effect on soil and vegetation.