In his article The Drillers Are Coming, Mark Fischetti examines the pros and cons of the natural gas drilling procedure known as hydraulic fracturing or hydraulic fracturing. He also mentions the Marcellus formation, a shale deposit that extends from New York to Tennessee (Fischetti, 2010). According to the article, the Marcellus formation could potentially provide the United States with enough natural gas for the next 40 years if consumption rates remain stable. at current rates (Fischetti, 2010). Fischetti discusses current political pressures to achieve energy dependence on foreign countries and mentions that natural gas could be a cleaner alternative to coal. Natural gas emits 40 percent less carbon dioxide than its smoked counterpart (Fischetti, 2010). Thanks to these discoveries, new technologies are being developed to increase the amount of gas that can be extracted. These cost-effective horizontal drilling procedures are quickly spreading across the country. This fact is evident in Pennsylvania where the number of wells drilled increased from just two in 2005 to 768 in 2009 (Fischetti, 2010). Fischetti says, however, that concerns have been raised about the negative impact of this relatively new horizontal drilling. The procedure known as groundwater hydraulic fracturing, or hydraulic fracturing for short, has consequences for the environment and human health. Hydraulic fracturing involves forcing large quantities of fresh water and chemicals down wells to fracture rocks and release the natural gas stored there. As a result, significant amounts of contaminated water come back up. The author describes an air quality study done by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality in 2009, in which they discovered benzene, xylene, and other toxins exceeding the middle of the paper and improving jobs. the economic situation of many families. Additionally, it could be a big step toward solving the United States' energy dependence problem. On the other hand, it could contaminate our groundwater and create a health risk for families living around these fracking sites. This article raises the question of whether or not our country can have access to cheap energy while also having access to our vital natural resources. I find that this is a question that is often at the center of discussions these days. For some reason, affordable energy and a clean environment are always at odds. It's either one or the other. I wonder if there will come a day when we can choose to have both. Works Cited Fischetti, M. (2010, July). The drillers are coming. Scientific American, 303(1), 82-85. Extracted from the MAS Ultra database: School Edition..