Ethical Orientation: Deep Ecology and Fracking in Scotland

This essay delves into the principles of deep ecology and its application to the controversial practice of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in Scotland. The author argues against fracking, emphasizing the potential environmental damage and risks to human health, while also advocating for the importance of considering the interconnectedness of all living organisms and the environment. The essay explores the ethical dimensions of resource extraction, highlighting the need to prioritize ecological well-being over short-term economic gains. The author discusses the arguments for and against fracking, referencing relevant research and the Scottish government's stance on the issue. The essay concludes with a call for a more sustainable approach to resource management that aligns with the principles of deep ecology and advocates for the banning or strict regulation of fracking. The essay provides a detailed analysis of the topic, including landscape damage, groundwater contamination, and industrial traffic and emphasizes the need for a shift toward ecological sustainability.

Deep Ecology
Hydraulic fracturing is one of the major techniques employed to extract oil and gases. Hydraulic
fracturing, also known as fracking, is a technique that involves resource extraction through
vertical and horizontal wells drilled from the surface to the bedrock where the desired resource is
found. The drilled wells are used to inject liquids (water and chemicals) under high pressure to
open fissures for extraction (Meng, & Ashby, 2014). Fracking has been more often practically
used in Scotland in the mining of unconventional gases such as shale though the technique does
well on various rock types. It is an undeniable fact that resource extraction promotes economic
growth as well as the provision of more secure energy sources, and getting rid of carbon-
intensive and coal-based electricity sources.
Although fracking has been in use in most countries over the past years, upheavals have arisen
recently concerning the effects of the process. There have been debates on whether the process
should continue in use. In Scotland, there is a controversy about fracking; those who argue in
favor of the process explain its economic importance while the opponents are establishing
potential risks of the process ((Briggle, 2013). The debates have attracted public attention, and
no consensus has been reached so far in the sense that the fracking is an economic tool. This
controversy is stimulated by the fact that the scientists have not yet established a fine report
about fracking. The public perception stands on the benefits of the process; hence the arguments
against it are taken as just politics. In his argument, Naess attributed the importance of equal
consideration on the health of a community and the environment and termed it as deep ecology.
Deep ecology is an important aspect that should be embraced in every undertaking to safeguard
the wellbeing of the environment and environmental ethics (Devall & Sessions, 2015). This
philosophy recognizes the existence of interdependence and the importance of living organisms
in the ecosystem. From the meaning of the word ‘deep’ as may be defined in the dictionary, deep
ecology is a detailed explanation of the importance of the living environment. In effect, the
existence of one part of the ecosystem depends majorly on the survival of another or the whole
part. To establish significant proves of these claims about deep ecology, some principles have
been used.
• There are intrinsic values on the interrelationships between human and non-human lives. This
can be explained through the importance of the environment to living organisms, not necessarily
considering the importance of the non-human world.
• Diversity of lives and richness of forms is another principle that explains in detail the inter-
dependence the living organisms on the environment.
• Equality of the living organisms should be respected within the biosphere and beyond.
• All people should have an in-depth ecological perspective in ensuring the health of the
environment is safeguarded by preventing exhausting of resources and pollution.

• The extraction of resources should be decentralized to avoid exploiting one area.
Is hydraulic fracturing safe? This is a question that is still in the minds of the Scottish people as
to whether their future is safeguarded as far as the extraction of oil and gases through fracking is
a concern. To me, the answer to this question is “No.” The fact that the process involves lots of
activities ranging from drilling, injection of liquids, to the exertion of high pressure puts the
environment and its constituents at risk (Mitka, 2012). The possible hazards include but not
limited to: landscape damage, contamination of groundwater, natural gas is a threat to human
life, insufficient infrastructure, and industrial traffic. The governments should, therefore, take
into consideration the importance of deep ecology and put in place measures to either regulate or
ban the use of fracking in resource extraction.
In my view, the uplifting of moratorium fracking by the Scottish government through the
environmental minister was justifiable. Onshore extraction of unconventional oil and gases using
the fracking technique leads to ecological deterioration, yet the Scottish government aims at
cutting climatic crisis net zero by the year 2045 (Tompkins et al., 2010). The positive benefits of
extraction through fracking are not sufficient to outweigh the associated negative impacts. Case
on point, in 2011, a research was conducted in Texas on drought-affected areas, and it was
indicated that the drought was exacerbated by fracking activities taking place in the areas
(Mooney, 2011). The drought had paralyzed many activities for farmers and homeowners, which
is jeopardy to the people and environment as opposed to the anticipated economic benefits.

List of references
Briggle, A. 2013. ‘Duck, rabbit, gas well: A Gestalt theory of the fracking debate’. Science
Progress (blog), 17 January: http://scienceprogress.org/2013/01/ duck-rabbit-gas-well/
Mooney, C. 2011. ‘The truth about fracking’. Scientific American 305: 80–5.
Devall, B., & Sessions, G. (2015). Deep ecology. Environmental Ethics: Readings in Theory and
Application, 231-237.
Mitka, M. (2012). Rigorous evidence slim for determining health risks from natural gas fracking.
JAMA, 307(20), 2135-2136.
Tompkins, E. L., Adger, W. N., Boyd, E., Nicholson-Cole, S., Weatherhead, K., & Arnell, N.
(2010). Observed adaptation to climate change: UK evidence of transition to a well-
adapting society. Global environmental change, 20(4), 627-635.
Meng, Q., & Ashby, S. (2014). Distance: A critical aspect for environmental impact assessment
of hydraulic fracking. The Extractive Industries and Society, 1(2), 124-126.