With the upcoming presidential election drawing near, opinions on the best way to utilize and take care of our environment have been high topics of discussion. One of the most discussed environmental topics is the use of fracking to maintain natural gas. Although my presidential candidate of choice, Bernie Sanders, talked in great detail about the negatives of fracking in the United States, I wasn't quite sure what fracking was, so I decided to do my own research and draw my own conclusion on the issue.

Hydraulic fracturing (or fracking for short) is a process in which over a million gallons of water, sand and chemicals are pumped underground to break apart rock and release natural gas. Natural gas is the most environmentally friendly fossil fuel and results in way less pollution than other fossil fuels. Pollution from fossil fuels is environmentally concerning, leading to smog, acid rain, and contributing to global warming (which you're definitely feeling right now if you're a North Carolina native like me). Fracking not only provides access to lower energy costs due to local natural gas production and an increase in jobs, but the benefits to public health are endless.

Or are they?

While it's true that fracking is a smart move from an economic perspective and provides some improvement to public health, fracking can also be extremely dangerous. Fracking often leads to contamination of nearby water sources due to chemical runoff and in turn depletes the value of nearby homes. In Josh Fox's popular 2012 film entitled "Gasland," Fox asked residents of a Pennsylvanian town who had recently been exposed to fracking to light their drinking water on fire....and they did. This film provided America with visual evidence regarding water contamination, but still fracking continued. Because fracking requires the use of vast amounts of water (nearly 8 million gallons per project), many states are experiencing horrifying drought conditions.

Not only are the environmental impacts of fracking horrifying, but the oil and gas industry are not even required to disclose all of the chemicals that are used in fracking and therefore contaminating nearby water sources. Spell it with me, folks! L-O-O-P-H-O-L-E.

Everyone deserves to have clean drinking water that is clear of harmful chemical substances. We must begin treating our planet (and other human beings) with respect instead of taking advantage of every aspect of the environment. Now that I've done my own research, I can confidently say that fracking is not a healthy way to extract natural gas from the Earth and must be carried out cautiously.

But don't just take my word for it! Do some research of your own and formulate your own opinion on the issue. Of all things to be ignorant towards, our planet is not one of them.