Hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking, is a method of extracting natural gas from underground by drilling and pumping large amounts of water beneath the Earth to open up deposits of natural gas (Banerjee). Countries with large natural gas deposits, such as France and Bulgaria, have already banned the practice of hydraulic fracturing. While fracking may seem like a new concept, it is not; Since the mid-1900s in America (Brantley), approximately one million wells have been fractured. Fracking has only become so controversial recently because the most current proposals affected more residential areas. The most controversial natural gas fields in the United States are the Marcellus Shale along Pennsylvania and New York and the Bakken formation in North Dakota. Many environmentalists are strongly opposed to the practice of fracking due to ecological concerns such as potential groundwater contamination. Meanwhile, oil industry operators strongly encourage hydraulic fracturing because of the economic benefits it will bring to the United States, such as more jobs (Tuthill). Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is ethical because it will bring a huge economic and energy boost to the United States. Even if those who oppose the practice of hydraulic fracturing are primarily concerned about environmental risks, they will feel much safer. whether natural gas companies disclose certain information. As Larry Kahaner puts it, “What some shareholders – at least those who asked the question before yesterday's meeting – and others want is for companies to fully disclose individual fracking operations and the chemicals used in the process. Some companies counter that they already stick... to the medium of paper... to the web. November 03, 2013.Brantley, Susan L. and Anna Meyendorff. “The Facts About Fracking.” The New York Times. The New York Times Company, March 13, 2013. Web. November 3, 2013. Kahaner, Larry. “The Fractured Ethics of Fracking.” Gas Drilling Awareness for Cortland County. GDACC, 26 May 2011. Web. 07 November 2013. Rieke, Richard D. and Malcolm O. Sillars. “American Value Systems.” Perspectives on argumentation. Ed. Nancy V. Wood. New York: Pearson Education, 2012. 142-147. Press. “The Facts About Fracking.” The Wall Street Journal. Dow Jones & Company, 25 June 2011. Web. 02 November 2013. Touryalai, Halah. “Fracking is misunderstood, it is the key to energy self-sufficiency.” Forbes. Forbes Magazine, May 21, 2012. Web. November 09, 2013.Tuthill, Samantha-Rae. “Understanding Fracking: Arguments for and Against Natural Gas Extractions.” AccuWeather. AccuWeather, 9 September 2013. Web. 08 November. 2013.