Did you know that U.S.
energy companies are drilling and fracking about 100 wells every day across
much of the country? That statistic came from an award winning Pulitzer-Prize nominated
reporter, Russell Gold. I often read his columns in The Wall Street Journal and
found his new book, The Boom: How Fracking Ignited the American Energy
Revolution and Changed the World, to be a fascinating read as well.
Gold lays out the facts, teaching his readers about the pros and
cons of this controversial technology. To what extent is water contaminated?
What waste is happening and where (with Gold's parents' farm and North Dakota as examples)? What
steps (fixing leaks and adding infrastructure) can be taken to improve the situation?
What factors (like more energy independence, increased revenues and more jobs)
seem to counteract pressures for stricter regulations and environmental
safeguards? Read Russell Gold’s book and
learn more in this extensive (over an hour) interview conducted at Columbia University in early April
2014:
At New Trier, additional materials on “fracking” are available
through diverse sources such as CQ Researcher database; DVD
titles Gasland; a new book, Frackers, by another
Wall Street Journal reporter (Gregory Zuckerman); plus numerous online industry
resources. Many of our students have chosen non-fiction books for Junior Theme
this year and I think that The Boom is an ideal candidate. Not only is the high interest topic presented
in a very engaging, readable way, Gold is a fantastic role model for our
budding researchers. The Boom has 30+ pages of sources and a 15+
page index – all of which will give our students plenty to explore as they
consider the future of energy production and consumption.
