STK-M3A2 Excelsior College Hydro-fracking For this assignment, we will drill down (pun intended) on the controversies that surround hydraulic fracturing, t
STK-M3A2 Excelsior College Hydro-fracking For this assignment, we will drill down (pun intended) on the controversies that surround hydraulic fracturing, typically shortened to “hydro-fracking”, for natural gas. This process is not new, but technological innovations in recent years have made it a much more practical and widespread technique to obtain natural gas. Fracking has supporters and detractors, but many states are now allowing fracking, and the practice is so widespread and effective that the prices for natural gas have fallen precipitously in recent years. However, there have been a host of environmental concerns with the rapid increase in the use of fracking. These include health issues created by water and air pollutants, damage to once wild and pristine environments that cannot be undone, and also earthquakes.
This assignment asks you to analyze an article from a Houston newspaper by A. Kuchment that reviews recent research on the increase in the number of earthquakes in Texas. This increase has apparently been linked to the increased use of fracking techniques. The US Geologic Survey has also published information on this issue. Learn more from the following reading and viewing opportunities before you begin the assignment.
Participating in this activity will enable you to demonstrate mastery of Module Level Outcome 2.
First:
Carefully read the news article:
Kuchment, A. (2016, May 21). Fracking activities caused majority of recent Texas quakes(Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.. Standard Times.
Take notes and pay special attention to the language used in the news article.
Next, for your comparison to the news article, your information from the “scientific community”:
View: Oklahoma Earthquakes and the Rise in Fracking (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. [Video, 10:12 mins]
Read: US Geologic Survey Myths and Misconceptions about Fracking and Earthquakes(Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
Review the Abstract (on page 1) and Discussion and Conclusions (on pp. 13-15) from: Frohlich, C., DeShon, H., Stump, B., Hayward, C., Hornbach, M., & Walter, J. I. (2016). A historical review of induced earthquakes in Texas (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.. Seismological Research Letters, 87(4).
Finally, submit the following:
Complete the Science Tool Kit attached here [DOCX, File size 28.4 KB] for your analysis of the news article by Kuchment It is attached
You are also encouraged to do your own research through our library on the topic. Do not forget to include in-text citations and complete APAstyle references for all sources. The Excelsior Library Citation Tip Sheets and Resources (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. will be a helpful guide. You may also wish to use a citation generator – you just insert the information, and it creates the citation in the format you indicate (MLA or APA, for example). Here are 3 citation generators to choose from: Your Science Toolkit for
M3A2 Short Answer: Earthquakes and Hydro fracking for Natural Gas
Student name:
Enter the following information about the newspaper article you are to analyze:
Title:
Author:
Publication:
Note: All responses must be supported by information from your readings. Provide specific
quotations or data to validate your position in each response. Use APA (American
Psychological Association) style in-text citations and references.
Part 1
1. Where did the author of the Standard Times article, A. Kuchment, get the scientific
information he/she is reporting, the “source”? (Give the full name of the journal or
publication, website, etc.)
2. Does this source have a special purpose or goal? (Go to the website of the
journal/publisher and see who publishes this (i.e., what organization or government
agency), and check their stated objectives or goals. Is this a “peer reviewed” scientific
journal?)
Use the EC (Excelsior College) Library resource, Evaluation Criteria, to help you evaluate a
source.
Part 2
1. Is there a difference in the information/data you find in the news article compared to
the information provided in the module resources, the USGS (United States Geological
Survey) reports, and the research reported by Frohlich et al. or any other unbiased
published the research you have located?
2. Is there a difference between what you learned from this article and what you thought
before? Do you think the American public would agree with the findings reported in the
news article? Why or why not?
Give concrete examples from your readings to support your positions on each question.
Part 3
1. Do all the scientific sources you have examined on this topic provide data or
information that supports the premise of the newspaper reporter, Kuchment?
Your Science Toolkit for
M3A2 Short Answer: Earthquakes and Hydro fracking for Natural Gas
2. Did the newspaper reporter include any scientists who disagree? Did you find any
scientists who disagree with the newspaper article’s premise?
3. Examine the key words used in the newspaper article in conjunction with the
scientific reports. Are misleading or sensationalistic expressions used that indicate
the earthquakes are definitely a result of the fracking and/or waste water disposal?
Give specific quotations and examples to support your response.
Give concrete examples from your readings to support your positions on each question.
Part 4:
1. Does the evidence suggest correlation or causation? In other words, does the data
suggest that two factors are correlated with one another, or that changes in one
actually cause changes in the other?
2. Is the evidence based on a large sample of observations or just a few isolated
incidents?
3. Does the evidence in the scientific literature, provided in the module readings and
other sources you have located, support the claims made by the author of the
newspaper article?
Give concrete examples from your readings to support your positions on each question.
Part 5: Now, answer the following concluding questions:
1. Do you trust this newspaper, the Standard Times, as a place to look in the future where you
can find scientific research that is accurately and fully examined to inform the public about
sensitive science topics, such as fracking?
2. What two questions do you wish you could ask Kuchment and/or the Frolich or the USGS
geologists?
Give concrete examples from your readings to support your positions on each question.
Your Science Toolkit for
M3A2 Short Answer: Earthquakes and Hydro fracking for Natural Gas
Use the following space to provide complete APA style references for any and all informational
sources you used, including the news article. Refer to the EC Library Tip Sheet on writing
references in APA style [PDF, file size 46 KB].
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