Victory for the ACT Student Text 15e

W RITING Q UIZZES • 179

Essay Task ”‹–‡ ƒ —‹ϐ‹‡†ǡ…‘Š‡”‡– ‡••ƒ› ‹ ™Š‹…Š ›‘— ‡˜ƒŽ—ƒ–‡ —Ž–‹’Ž‡ ’‡”•’‡…–‹˜‡• ‘ –Š‡ ‹’ƒ…– ‘ˆ ˆ”ƒ…‹‰Ǥ  ›‘—” ‡••ƒ›ǡ „‡ •—”‡ –‘ǣ • Analyze and evaluate perspectives given • State and develop your own perspective • Explain the relationship between your perspective and those given ‘—” ’‡”•’‡…–‹˜‡ ƒ› „‡ ‹ ˆ—ŽŽ ƒ‰”‡‡‡– ™‹–Š ƒ› ‘ˆ –Š‡ ‘–Š‡”•ǡ ‹ ’ƒ”–‹ƒŽ ƒ‰”‡‡‡– ‘” ™Š‘ŽŽ› †‹ˆˆ‡”‡–Ǥ Šƒ–‡˜‡” –Š‡…ƒ•‡ǡ •—’’‘”– ›‘—” ‹†‡ƒ• ™‹–Š Ž‘‰‹…ƒŽ ”‡ƒ•‘‹‰ ƒ† †‡–ƒ‹Ž‡†ǡ ’‡”•—ƒ•‹˜‡ ‡šƒ’Ž‡•Ǥ Above Average Response With fuel to heat our homes and run our cars, our need for fossil fuels will not disappear any time soon. However, because of the environmental risks involved, fracking should be undertaken with caution, and the long-term focus should be on renewable energy sources. The methods used through fracking to extract natural gas could cause environmental problems, such as pollution or even earthquakes. Companies, therefore, should be required to follow strict environmental and safety regulations and to cooperate with nearby communities. Furthermore, fracking should not detract from long-term goals of developing renewable energy sources. Although the debate is controversial, critics of fracking argue that it causes serious environmental problems, such as air and water pollution and instability of the earth’s crust. The process of fracking involves drilling at least a few thousand feet below the earth’s surface, as well as drilling horizontally. A combination of water and chemicals is poured down the drill at an extremely high pressure, which fractures shale rocks and releases natural gas. Studies in communities near fracking sites reported higher amounts of methane in well water, which could endanger the local population. Critics also argue that because fracking wells run thousands of feet deeper than wells for more traditional methods of natural gas extraction, fracking could destabilize the earth’s crust and cause earthquakes. ‘™‡˜‡”ǡ „‡…ƒ—•‡ ”‡‡™ƒ„Ž‡ ‡‡”‰› •‘—”…‡• ƒ”‡ ‘– •—ˆϔ‹…‹‡–Ž› †‡˜‡Ž‘’‡† –‘ ”‡’Žƒ…‡ ˆ‘••‹Ž ˆ—‡Ž …‘•—’–‹‘ǡ ‹– ‹• ‹’‘”–ƒ– –‘ ϔ‹† ƒ††‹–‹‘ƒŽ •‘—”…‡• ‘ˆ ˆ‘••‹Ž ˆ—‡Ž•Ǥ ”ƒ…‹‰ǡ –Š‡”‡ˆ‘”‡ǡ •Š‘—Ž† be undertaken with caution. Governmental agencies should regulate which chemicals can be used during fracking and should require companies to construct wells in ways that would minimize the risk of natural gas leakage. Additionally, companies should be required to drill at a safe distance from surrounding communities, to eliminate health risks involved with fracking. Although fracking …‘—Ž† „”‹‰ ƒ› ‡…‘‘‹…„‡‡ϔ‹–•ǡ ‡•’‡…‹ƒŽŽ› ‰”‡ƒ–‡” ‡‡”‰› ‹†‡’‡†‡…‡ ˆ‘” –Š‡ ǡ –Š‡ ’”‘…‡•• should not jeopardize local ecosystems and the health of surrounding communities. Furthermore, fracking is not a permanent solution because it extracts a nonrenewable resource. It should not compromise efforts to develop renewable sources of energy. Although developing equipment and researching safe methods for fracking will be an extremely expensive endeavor, it should not cripple government and private funding for development of other sources of energy, such as wind or solar energy. Renewable energy sources will have a greater long-term impact on energy independence and will be safer for the environment than fracking. Despite the environmental problems that it can cause, fracking is currently a necessary risk, until renewable energy resources are more developed and widely available. However, companies should be required to follow strict regulations to minimize risks for the surrounding communities. Economic gains from fracking should not come at the expense of environmental and health disasters.