Global Warming
Scientists agree that in order to avoid the worst impacts of global warming, we must keep the vast majority of fossil fuels in the ground.
Global warming is a profound threat to virtually every aspect of nature and human civilization –disrupting the functioning of ecosystems, increasing the frequency and violence of extreme weather, and ultimately jeopardizing health, food production, and water resources for Americans and people across the planet.
Fracking’s primary impact on the climate is through the release of methane, which is a far more potent contributor to global warming than carbon dioxide. Over a 100-year timeframe, a pound of methane has 34 times the heat-trapping effect of a pound of carbon dioxide. Methane is even more potent relative to carbon dioxide at shorter timescales, at least 86 times more over a 20-year period.