It is debate not paper: so I need only a brief answer for each question or perspective

Thank you

Explain the types of waste produced by fracking, including radioactive material, what processes produce the waste, what happens to it and how it can be recycled. Explain the requirements to disclose the chemicals used in fracking.

Here is a link to a series from the New York Times that provides useful, but not exhaustive, information. http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/us/DRILLING_DOW…

– How is fracking beneficial for our energy needs?

– How does fracking worsen climate change?

– How does fracking cause earthquakes?

– How will fracking lead us to energy independence?

– Hasn’t fracking been done in the United States for decades?

– Will fracking make me sick? Will fracking make my pets sick?

How to deal with these kinds of topics?

1. What is the issue about? To identify the nature of the controversy, consider whether the issue is about values (Is fracking an acceptable means of accessing fossil fuels?), information (Are there disputed “facts” about the impacts of fracking?) or concepts (Is the controversy a matter of definition?). You may conclude that fracking is mainly an issue about values and information, although the degree or emphasis may vary.

2. What are the arguments? To determine exactly what is being said and whether there is adequate justification for the claims being made, you should ask if the conclusions presented in the argument are reasonable, given the information? The fracking debate is fueled by assertions that are contestable. You will be challenged to distil the competing claims in terms of the available information and the degree to which the respective conclusions are reasonable. The application of two criteria, whether the position is moral (how all people will be affected) or prudential (how it will impact me or waste) should prove insightful.

3. What is assumed? To determine the validity of a position, examine the assumptions behind the argument, including the “voice” of the position. Are vested interests involved? Do the people advocating for/against fracking stand to receive financial or other benefits, depending on the outcome?

4. How are the arguments manipulated? To help judge quality of the information, you must determine how an argument is being manipulated: whether claims appear to be supported by evidence or twisted to suit the position. Given its current profile, fracking offers prime opportunities for media awareness; students can examine coverage of fracking with respect to how the media can both reflect and create reality.

After analyzing the arguments and scrutinizing the assumptions, you will be better prepared to make a personal judgment on the issue.

Seeking and Sharing Perspectives

given one of the following personals perspectives from which to formulate a position on fracking:

1. Property owner of a field identified with potential for fracking

2. Mayor of the town, which anticipates revenue from royalties

3. Gas industry executive

4. Unemployed oil rig worker

5. Parent of two young children

6. First Nations/Native American chief on an adjacent reserve

7. Environmental advocate

8. Retiree in a low-income apartment