Today the EPA announced the results into its investigation into the effects fracking has on drinking water. In what is sure to be a blow to anti-fracking activists, the EPA announced, after a five year study, that fracking does not pose a threat to the drinking water of the United States.
One of the main charges used by anti-fracking activists is the claim fracking pollutes water. There have been many anti-fracking documentaries that have made this one of the central arguments against the practice. However, today’s announcement by the EPA reveals the facts don’t agree with their claims. While emotional appeals can be powerful, they ultimately need to be backed up with facts. Today’s release by the EPA highlights that fact.
It is easy to be taken in by a sad story, but facts and reason must ultimately claim the day. Being swept up in a wave of emotion can lead to decisions that would not have been made if the facts had been carefully examined. This is one of the most powerful weapons used by environmentalists, and one of the easiest pitfalls people fall victim to.
Many states passed bans on fracking based on the emotional claims of anti-fracking activists. These states could have greatly benefited from the economic boons presented by fracking, but instead they were swept up by the emotional wave started by anti-fracking activists. Today’s EPA investigation results show that emotion shouldn’t have ruled the day, and hopefully states that have passed fracking bans will see reason and reverse those bans.