# Fracking = Worse Than Coal **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [October 31, 2013, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fracking-worse-than-coal/672744 "2013-10-31T12:31:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blue_blistering_barnacle/32/3386_2.png) [@Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blue_Blistering_Barnacle)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2014, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fracking-worse-than-coal/672744/81 "2014-01-21T03:01:53Z")
> [@tracer](#): > > But cows can eat grass. > People don’t do very well when they eat grass. I guess we’re not as evolved as we thought we were. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2014, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fracking-worse-than-coal/672744/82 "2014-01-21T15:19:36Z")
[QUOTE=oogabooga] It disturbs me that alot of people seem to misunderstand hydro dams. Some fool even went as far as to claim the amount of water going out is less than the amount coming in. [/QUOTE] The amount of water going out IS less than the amount coming in. You should look up the term ‘evaporation’ some time. > [@](#): > > This violates basic physics, although to a small extent, they may be 1/2 right: Nearly all hydro dams are designed to be far too large for the area. At this ridiculous size, they tend to leak alot of water into the ground. What basic law of physics is being violated?? Which hydro electric dams are designed to be far too large for their area?? > [@](#): > > Some hippies and environmentalists seem to have developed a rather stupid aversion to this type of power in the meantime, but the fact is a responsibly sized hydro station is no threat at all to any part of the surrounding environment. Um…dams have a huge negative impact on the environment, which is why we don’t build any more. Well, that and the fact that most of the best places to build the things are already in use in the US. > [@](#): > > I’ve said before, these free energy sources don’t (or shouldn’t) produce alot of power at one spot. It seems to mostly be the american/capitalist way to suck everything out of something until it blows up in your face, instead of building smaller, long term, more efficient systems like the rest of the world does. Fracking is of course, a perfect example of this. I’m not even sure what you are trying to say here, except you are ranting about Americans and capitalism…or something. It’s more economical to build a few large power plants than it is to build a bunch of small ones, especially if we are talking about hydro-electric. This has nothing to do with being American or capitalist…ask the Chinese who certainly aren’t the former and are only nominally the latter. Or ask anyone else who builds dams. Fracking is a perfect example of what? Being an American and a capitalist? > [@](#): > > In fact, humans have been using the potential energy of rainwater for longer than we have records for. Including water wheels to power flour mills, and wheels powering religious ‘artifacts’ in order to impress potential believers in the roman ages when the christians were 1st trying to wow everyone with how great their religion was. There have been a few small changes in society since the Romans were in power. You really need to keep up. 😛 > [@](#): > > Anyway, that’s just hydro dams. I have several (very inefficient by todays standards) solar cells that have lasted over 30 years, despite what someone else thinks about maintenance, but that’s another story. I’m sure you do…but solar cells lose a lot of efficiency in much less time, especially in harsher environments (such as in the desert where solar makes the most sense). You can, of course, keep using them, but you get less and less power out of them as time goes by, and at a certain point it’s going to be diminishing returns, even if you over engineer the things. If you are just some guy who uses his solar cells to power his computer so he can rant about Americans and capitalists then it’s not as vital as it is if you are a power plant trying to get a good ROI on your panels. ---
**Author:** ![photodiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ea666f/32.png) [@photodiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photodiver)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2014, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fracking-worse-than-coal/672744/83 "2014-01-29T22:36:09Z")
> [@jzj1](#): > > 1. Fossil fuel should virtually never be used as it is itself energy-intensive often resulting in little net energy (but merely shifts energy location and form). BWAAAAA HAAAAAA HAAAAAA HAAAAAA , giggle, choke, snort, snort, giggle, giggle, BWAAAAA HAAAAAA HAAAAAA HAAAAAA \ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fracking-worse-than-coal/672744.md?page=4)