Additional Resources
We had the honor of interviewing Dr. Nicholas Shapiro for our most recent podcast episode, who lent us some of his expertise about fracking. Our discussion with him goes into greater detail about the process of fracking, how fenceline communities are affected, and some of his recommendations for the future. Fracking is a complex issue, and we hope that you continue to learn more about it through us and other resources, such as this interview.
To hear or read the whole interview, click the buttons below.
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About the Speaker
Dr. Nicholas Shapiro
An Assistant Professor at UCLA's Institute of Society and Genetics, Nicholas Shapiro is multidisciplinary researcher focusing on community engagement through ecological injustices. He focuses on how structural violence pollutes and harms communities ecologically. Dr. Shapiro studied fracking communities in Pennsylvania, but his current work focuses on failures of the EPA and medical personnel in the carceral system.
DPhil, Anthropology, University of Oxford
MPhil, Medical Anthropology, University of Oxford
BA, Global Public Health and Anthropology, Bard College
We'd like to thank Dr. Nicholas Shapiro for giving us their time and answering our questions regarding fracking. This project would not have been the same without you, and we really appreciated your help!
About the Book
Fractivism: Corporate Bodies and Chemical Bonds by Sara Ann Wylie
In Fractivism, Sara Ann Wylie traces the history of fracking and the ways scientists and everyday people are coming together to hold accountable an industry that has managed to evade regulation. We would like to thank Dr. Wylie for serving as the inspiration for this project and giving us the name of our podcast, The Fractivists!
Supplemental Materials
(mentioned in the podcast)
This table gives the volumetric composition and purpose of different substances in fracking fluid. About 99.5% of this fluid is water and sand. The other 0.5% of chemicals might sound like a small amount, but keep in mind it is a percentage of hundreds of thousands of gallons of fracking fluid. Many of these chemicals are highly hazardous even in small quantities. Additionally, this table gives a few examples of each type of constituent, but different companies use their own unique mixture of chemicals.
Composition of Typical Fracking Fluid
Image Source: Sovacool, Benjamin K. 2014. “Cornucopia or Curse? Reviewing the Costs and Benefits of Shale Gas Hydraulic Fracturing (Fracking).” Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 37 (September): 249–64.
This table details different substances found in typical air pollution as a result of fracking. Many of these substances adversely affect specific parts of the human body. Keep in mind that in combination with one another, some of these effects are amplified. Additionally, many of these chemicals are also found in groundwater pollution as a result of fracking.
Air Pollution from Fracking
Image Source: Srebotnjak, Tanja, and Miriam Rotkin-Ellman. 2014. “Fracking Fumes: Air Pollution from Hydraulic Fracturing Threatens Public Health and Communities,” National Resources Defense Council.