With the era of constant industrial and technological growth came the need not only for cheap and efficient methods for industry, but also the need to obtain fuel for the machines that make up the possible modern world. Oil has become as valuable a commodity as gold, if not more so; its results consistently push the world's largest businesses and governments into action. Of course, a “quick” solution to this problem is constantly sought by oil companies wishing to supply oil on a large scale. One of these drilling methods is known as induced hydraulic fracturing (also known as fracking). Fracking is a process in which a drill is inserted into a shale, which is a fissured surface, usually rock or clay, under which oil is expected or estimated. lie. The drill then blasts the underground well with large quantities of liquid, usually water with chemicals added to thin it. Fracturing occurs within the soil and/or rock formation when water pressure is applied and veins are created so the oil can flow freely. While a typical oil rig can only pump oil vertically, many fracking companies also drill vertically, creating more possibilities for natural gas and oil supplies. The first use of the process was in Barnett, Texas, in the Barnett Shale, and it has been going on for over 50 years with what some would say has been spotty government regulation, and what others would say is excessive or unwarranted where it is verified. As Hannah Wiseman stated in her editorial "Untested Waters: The Rise of Hydraulic Fracturing in Oil and Gas Production and the Need to Revise Regulation", over time, I...... paper... ... January 2013. Rosenfeld, Steven. “Cities that dare to take on the fracking industry pay a high price.” Othernet. Np, nd Web. January 21, 2013. Schmidt, Charles W. "The Blind Rush? Shale Gas Boom Proceeds Amid Questions About Human Health." National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, Aug. 1, 2011. Web. Jan. 21, 2013. Talbott, Evelyn O. “Leukemia Risk as a Result of Community Exposure to Gasoline Vapors: A Follow-Up Study.” National Center for Biotechnology Information. US National Library of Medicine, nd Web. January 22, 2013.Tollefson, Jeff. "Fracking Is Behind Wyoming's Groundwater Contamination." Nature.com. Nature Publishing Group, nd Web. January 22, 2013.Wiseman, Hannah. “Untested Waters: The Rise of Hydraulic Fracturing in Oil and Gas Production and the Need to Review Regulation.” (2009): n. page Network. January 21st. 2013.