Hydrofracking: What Everyone Needs to Know®

by Alex Prud’homme

Constantly in the news and the subject of much public debate, fracking, as it is known for short, is one of the most promising yet controversial methods of extracting natural gas and oil. Today, 90 percent of natural gas wells use fracking. Though highly effective, the process-which fractures rock with pressurized fluid-has been criticized for polluting land, air, and water, and endangering human health.

A timely addition to Oxford's What Everyone Needs to Know® series, Hydrofracking tackles this contentious topic, exploring both sides of the debate and providing a clear guide to the science underlying the technique. In concise question-and-answer format, Alex Prud'homme cuts through the maze of opinions and rhetoric to uncover key points, from the economic and political benefits of fracking to the health dangers and negative effects on the environment. Prud'homme offers clear answers to a range of fundamental questions, including: What is fracking fluid? How does it impact water supplies? Who regulates the industry? How much recoverable natural gas exists in the U.S.? What new innovations are on the horizon? Supporters as diverse as President Obama and the conservative billionaire T. Boone Pickens have promoted natural gas as a clean, "21st-century" fuel that will reduce global warming, create jobs, and provide tax revenues, but concerns remain, with environmental activists like Bill
McKibben and others leading protests to put an end to fracking as a means of obtaining alternative energy. Prud'homme considers ways to improve methods in the short-term, while also exploring the possibility of transitioning to more sustainable resources-wind, solar, tidal, and perhaps nuclear power-for the long term.

Written for general readers, Hydrofracking clearly explains both the complex science of fracking and the equally complex political and economic issues that surround it, giving readers all the information they need to understand what will no doubt remain a contentious issue for years to come.

What Everyone Needs to Know® is a registered trademark of Oxford University Press.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, Environment, Nature, Journalism

208 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2013

About the author

Alex Prud’homme is an American journalist and the author of several non-fiction books.

Reviews

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent adult or young adult level guide to understanding the hydraulic fracturing of shale gas reservoirs. Well organized and easy to read. Informative throughout including an appendix with known chemicals used and chapter notes.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

I moved to Colorado this year, so I felt somewhat obliged to read at least something about this perpetually contentious and, for me, very local topic. It's a short primer and covers the absolute bare bones in a clear accessible style, Prud'Homme provides a slew of data and simple, direct summaries to explain what fracking is, where it came from and why it matters.

He tries to offer balance and clarity and to provide smart arguments both for (it's cheap and there's probably a lot of shale gas in American soil) and against it(it uses an obscene amount of water, its overall environmental impact can be a mess, and it's really just a stop-gap away from fossil fuels into renewables down the road).

Obviously a work like this is meant to offer the briefest of summaries. I would gladly have continued reading it if it had been another couple of hundred pages. There is obviously a great deal more to unpack when it comes to hydrofracking, or indeed to any energy policy than what can be hinted at here. This is a solid, short book if you want a light primer on hydrofracking. Now, where is the heavy primer?

[Tue Le · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative and fair. Recommended for anyone interested in this rising technology. Those who are curious about the geopolitical aspects of hydraulic fracturing should also read "Absent Superpower" (2016) by Peter Zeihan.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hydrofracking is certainly in the news these days. I wanted to have some basis upon which to evaluate what I was hearing. I think Alex has done a very good job of explaining the origin of the technique and its use today. He has included the economic impact and the possible health issues. He is great at presenting both sides of the issue. This is certainly not a definitive work on the subject but it is a good book for the layperson to read so we at least know what is being discussed. As he says at the end of the book, this is a young industry. But even in the short time it has been in use, it has changed the energy landscape. We will see what happens in the future.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having a son who worked in the fracking fields made me interested in more information about the topic. He explained how it worked, but reading about the process in this book gave me more understanding. The author lays out the pros and cons in the last chapters, which gives the reader the tools to evaluate this newer form of extracting energy. I cannot speak in scientific terms about hydrofracking, but do have a better handle on what it is, how it works, and the arguments for and against it.

[Steve Wiggins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This excellent little study will provide an unbiased introduction to a controversial topic. Although Prud'Homme is honest about how he approaches the topic, this book eschews easy answers and makes the reader face the questions head on. I comment further on it on my blog: Sects and Violence in the Ancient World.

[Robharries · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good and solid introduction to Hydraulic Fracturing in the USA.

Recommended for all those pro or anti who need to bone up on some key facts and issues, even if you are already well versed in the subject, the book, like 'what everyone needs to know' titles, breaks everything down into handy subtitled sub-chapters, perfect for referencing.

[Sarah Mcgrath · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very clear explanation of what fracking is and what the benefits and downsides are. I'm still anti-fracking but at least now I can back up my arguments better!

[Chuck · Rating 4 out of 5]

V informative.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent and accessible resource on the topic.