Should the United States Continue Fracking?
Fracking (hydraulic fracturing) is a method of extracting natural gas from deep underground via a drilling technique. Most U.S. states allow fracking, though four states have banned the practice as of Feb. 2021: Vermont (2012), New York (temporarily in 2014; permanently in 2020), Maryland (2017), and Washington (2019). In Apr. 2021, California banned new fracking projects as of 2024. For more on fracking, explore the ProCon debate.
PRO (yes)
Pro
“We’re going to get to net zero emission by 2050, and we’ll get to net zero power emissions by 2035. But there’s no rationale to eliminate, right now, fracking.” Editors’ Note: Biden did state, while campaigning for the 2020 election, that he would ban new fracking permits on federal land.
-Rachel Sandler, “Did Biden Break Campaign Promise On Fracking? No—And Here’s Why,” forbes.com, Jan. 21, 2021
Pro
“In addition to assessing the potentially devastating effects of fracking restrictions on American jobs and workers, the Administration will assess potential effects on consumers, property owners, local governments, schools, hospitals, and medical clinics.”
-Trump White House Archives, “President Donald J. Trump Is Supporting Hydraulic Fracturing and Other Technologies to Protect Our Jobs, Economic Opportunity, and National Security,” trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov, Oct. 31, 2020
CON (no)
Con
“I will ban fracking, which provides the feedstock for most of the plastics produced in the U.S.. Fracking has proven to be devastating for rural communities, poisoning water tables. Industry has had 20 years to demonstrate that they can frack safely and responsibly, but has failed to do so.”
Editors’ Note: The Kennedy campaign issued the following statement to Fox News Digital after Kennedy’s statement above was met with opposition: “Mr. Kennedy recognizes that an immediate and total ban on fracking would devastate the U.S. economy, and is therefore unrealistic. He favors a gradual phase-out of the practice, starting with the removal of subsidies and a moratorium on new exploration.”
-Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., “Biden Has Totally Failed To Curb Plastics Pollution; I Have a Plan To Fix It,” thehill.com, Sep. 15, 2023
Source for Editors’ Note: Thomas Catenacci, “RFK Jr’s Campaign Walks Back Promise To Ban Fracking Following Backlash,” foxnews.com, Sep. 18, 2023