Are we too comfortable with chemicals?

Chemicals are a part of everyday life for most people (even if you may not be aware of it). Farmers use chemicals to protect their crops – crops that end up on your dinner plate. People use chemicals to keep their lawns green. Their pools crystal clear. But with chemical issues like fracking becoming more prevalent in the news these days, we have to ask: what effect are they having on our environment? And can we even make an educated guess?

Fracking is the latest craze in the energy industry. A cocktail of highly pressurized water and chemicals is pumped into the ground, into shale, in order to break up sedimentary rock and access deposits of precious natural gas. 

Environmental advocates and scientists alike are growing concerned with exactly what chemicals these companies are using. The problem, though, is that these chemicals are protected under intellectual copyright laws. So even if they might be contaminating our rivers and water wells, billion dollar companies (which can afford to settle out of court for “damages”) will continue to open new fracking operations. From the United States to Russia – fracking is a global threat that isn’t going anyway anytime soon.

Experimental fieldwork on ecosystems, as well as broad analyzes of chemical and biological samples, helps scientists understand the long-term effects of chemicals on humans and animals.

"Although there are many indications of animal populations and ecosystems changing because of pesticides, there are few studies proving the connection without a doubt," claim environmental researchers Rita Triebskorn and Heinz Kohler. "The links to the effect of pesticides at every level of increasing biological complexity require more thorough research."

Triebskorn and Kohler predict that, over time, the introduction of chemicals into our environment will alter natural selection, spread disease, inhibit sexual reproduction, and even wipe out entire species of animals!

What can we do about it?

First, we need to start compiling more data so we can understand the full scope of the problem. Algorithms and experimental practices can both help uncover more instances of environmental degradation due to chemicals and pesticides.

This information isn’t just for farmers, either! Remember – what they grow, you’ll ultimately consume. You’ll go swimming in that water. You’ll go running barefoot on that lawn. Chemicals are everywhere!

We can cut down on our chemical dependence, however, by moving away from potentially hazardous practices like fracking and focus on sustainable, clean, all-natural alternatives. NRGLab has a number of such alternatives in development. From a carbon-free, polycrystalline electrical generator to innovative gasification techniques and technology, NRGLab wants to protect the planet and ensure a greener future for millions of people around the world.

So ask yourself: are you too comfortable with chemicals?

If the answer is “yes,” consider joining NRGLab in the green energy revolution. Visit our website at nrglab.asia, and follow us on Facebook for updates. 

[ energy industry, Rita Triebskorn, Heinz Kohler, nrglab, nrglab singapore, nrglab сингапур, nrglab pte ltd, ana shell ]