An introduction to the uses and workings of, and problems related to, the practice of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking.

Argues that obtaining energy through the hydraulic fracturing of shale rock is based on unstable economic foundations, and is having much more destructive effects on the economy and the government of the United States than its advocates claim.

Over roughly the past decade, oil and gas production in the United States has surged dramatically--thanks largely to technological advances such as high-volume hydraulic fracturing, more commonly known as "fracking." This rapid increase has generated widespread debate, with proponents touting economic and energy-security benefits and opponents highlighting the environmental and social risks of increased oil and gas production. Despite the heated debate,...

On the surface, fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, seems like a perfect solution to the country's energy crises. It is a relatively easy and independent way to supply natural gas. But controversies surround the practice. The process involved in fracking has been shown to be harmful to the environment and a threat to our public health. Do the benefits of fracking outweigh the costs? Can improvements be made to the process that would eliminate its dangers?...

A pharmacologist and a veterinarian pull back the curtain on the human and animal health effects of hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking" The extraction of natural gas by fracking has become an increasingly visible and contentious issue. Fracked gas is being touted across the land and at the highest levels as the nation's answer to energy independence, a fix for the flagging economy and high unemployment, and a way to combat global warming with "clean...

"Fracking has become a four-letter word to environmentalists. But most people don't know what it means. In this book, Sernovitz explains [what he sees as] the reality of fracking: what it is, how it can be made safer, and how the oil business works. He also tells the bigger story. Fracking was just one part of a shale revolution that shocked our assumptions about fueling America's future. The revolution has transformed the world with consequences...

"After water and air, sand is the natural resource that we consume more than any other--even more than oil. Every concrete building and paved road on Earth, every computer screen and silicon chip, is made from sand. From Egypt's pyramids to the Hubble telescope, from the world's tallest skyscraper to the sidewalk below it, from Chartres' stained-glass windows to the smartphone in your hand, sand shelters us, connects us, and inspires us. it's the...

"A narrative nonfiction account of the worldwide water crisis, explaining what's happening to the world's water supply, from industrial pollution to harmful algal blooms, and what kids can do about it"--