The Fracking Debate

This Abridge News topic aggregates four unique arguments on different sides of the debate. Here are the quick facts to get you started:

THE QUICK FACTS

• Hydraulic fracturing, commonly called fracking, is a drilling technique used for extracting oil or natural gas from deep underground.
• Fracking is a hotly debated environmental and political issue. Advocates insist it is a safe and economical source of clean energy; critics, however, claim fracking can destroy drinking water supplies, pollute the air, contribute to the greenhouse gases that cause global warming, and trigger earthquakes.
• Some form of fracking is now used in 90 percent of all new onshore oil and gas development, and currently accounts for 60 percent of natural gas production in the U.S.
• The debate over fracking has resurfaced as the nation gets closer to a presidential election. The topic was discussed in both the first presidential debate and last week’s vice presidential debate.
• The Trump campaign has attacked Biden’s stance on fracking, claiming he would seek to end fracking in the U.S. However, the Biden campaign has been adamant that the former vice president would not ban fracking.

CLICK TO VIEW OPINIONS ranging from Left-Leaning Responses to Right-Leaning Responses