#Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing as it is more commonly known, is an unconventional method for development of oil and natural gas. Fracking is a proven drilling technology used for extracting oil, natural gas, geothermal energy, or water from deep underground. Fracking has been used in the United States since 1947. More than 1.7 million U.S. wells have been completed using the fracking process, producing more than 7 billion barrels of oil and 600 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. 

Over the past decade, oil companies have fracked about half of the new oil wells drilled in California, or about 18,000 to 30,000 new oil wells drilled each year. The vast majority of fracking in California is concentrated in Kern County, with a maximum percentage occurring in just 4 oil fields.

One of the main pollutants released in the fracking process is methane. Research indicates the California #oil and #gas industry emits 13 million metric tons of methane annually, for a leak rate of 2.3 percent of all production. Methane is a major greenhouse gas. Its global warming potential is 84 times that of carbon dioxide on a 20-year horizon, and 25 times on a 100-year horizon.

On a national and state level, the fracking process uses billions of gallons of water each year. On a local level, the median value of water consumed is 1.5 million gallons per well, according to the EPA. This consumption reduces the amount of fresh water available to nearby residents, particularly areas where water availability is low. In addition to water and air #pollution, fracking can have long term effects on the soil and surrounding vegetation. The high salinity of wastewater spills from fracking can reduce the soil ability to support plant life.

On the other side of the issue, the fracking business brings millions of jobs to the country for all economic class families. Shutting down the fracking business for environmental purposes could make millions of people lose their jobs. Also, fracking is another method for the U.S. to become more self-reliant on energy, as opposed to buying oil from Saudi Arabia or Russia.

The question for debate is, is fracking an important part of the energy plan in California, or should it be banned due to environmental damage?