Fracking

Deep below the surface, locked inside dense shale rock, lie huge reserves of natural gas and oil that ordinary drilling cannot reach. Fracking is the controversial technique that cracks open this rock to release the fuel. It has transformed the energy supply of some countries, yet it is banned in others. Few topics in environmental management divide opinion so sharply, pitting energy security and jobs against fears for water, air and the ground itself.

In this short but important lesson you will learn exactly what fracking is and how it works, from drilling the borehole to pumping in the fracturing fluid of water, sand and chemicals. You will then weigh the benefits and limitations on both sides of the argument, the balanced judgement the exam expects when a topic is this contested.