Fracking has caused air pollution and water contamination due to the toxic chemical waste from hydraulic fracturing which is prominent at fracking sites around Denver, according to Lisa Gardiner at UCAR Center for Science Education. Fracking releases hydrocarbons, fluids and dust that can become airborne and hazardous for humans to breathe in.
“I was driving in California and I saw on both sides of the road the oil drilling, and it was crazy to see with my own eyes because I’ve only seen fracking on TV. It was disgusting,” Janette proclaimed.
In Colorado, there are approximately 60,000 active oil and gas wells, and 20,000 are abandoned, according to a map by DenverPostData on Colorado Rising.
“I think fracking is a thing because people do not know how bad it is or choose to ignore it because they have not seen it with their own eyes. You can hear something is bad but if it does not mean anything to you then there is no personal connection so no one wants to help,” Janette said.
Students at DU come from all over the world which leads to varying opinions on the concept of air pollution because it may not be as prominent in their hometown. Hannah Meyer grew up in a small town in Wisconsin, and is not too familiar on the implications of pollution.
“I do not know specifics on the quality of air in Denver, but based on the amount of car traffic, I assume that the air quality is not the best, also when there are fires up in the mountains I know that the air quality is bad,” Meyer, a sophomore at the University of Denver, exclaimed.
Traffic in Denver is only predicted to get worse, as it is expected to double by 2040 from 1,489 lane miles to 2,819, according to a study by Aldo Svaldi at The Denver Post. Even with Denver’s transit system and the abundance of Uber and Lyft drivers, the transportation investments have not kept up with a steady increase in the population.
More specifically, residents of Colorado are passionate about the rapid increase in people moving to Colorado and cars on the highways. Wyatt Verity a Colorado resident has witnessed this attraction to Denver.
“I-70 is always a mess and trying to get to the city anytime during the day is awful,” Verity, a sophomore at the University of Denver, stated.
The increase in pollution has caused for the hottest years recorded in global history from 2015-2017, according to the American Lung Association. This is a result of the population rising by 8% in the past five years.
“I think about how climate change is happening, but I’m not familiar with how detrimental each pollutant is to the environment and what is making the biggest problem,” Meyer honestly spoke on her confusion around air pollution.
Many students interviewed were unaware of what fracking was and how much the traffic has increased which is directly impacting Denver’s quality of air.
The combination of oil drilling and the multitude of cars on I-70 heading to and from the mountains is the main culprit for Denver being ranked the 12th worst in the country for ozone pollution a.k.a. smog. Air quality is worsening due to particle pollution, wildfires and sporadic weather patterns that is only fueling climate change.
“Fracking and factories make money because it is easy. The big money companies profit from the destruction of the earth and they have the money to make that ok,” Janette passionately stated.
The MFJS Reporter -- Winter 2020 M-W 