It'll be a Long Time Before We Know

    

 

 As I conclude my research on the Oil Boom in ND, I’ve realized we may not know for a long time if this new found prosperity is a blessing or a curse for ND.  I have concluded that some people certainly have determined it is a curse. They have lost the community they once had to big oil and big growth. Others are finding themselves with opportunities and happiness they could never have imagined.  As far as environmentally, I believe this is the question that will take longest to answer, what is the long term environmental and health damage being done by fracking for oil?  I’ve learned a little bit about a lot of different issues associated with drilling for oil and all that comes along with it.  It really impacts many more people and areas of a community than one would think. I still want to do more research on oil booms in other areas of the United States and see how they handled the growth and issues that came with it. I haven’t found very much information on this so far.  I am not sure if I will ever decide if this boom is good or bad. I think I’ll remain somewhere in the middle. Like anything else, it’s good for some and not for others and everyone’s got a different opinion on it.

The six different sources I used for my research were pretty comparable in their overall view of what’s going on in North Dakota. Most of what I found talked a lot about the growth and changes that are happening, but provided little in the way of answers to these problems. There were a few exceptions, with one source in particular that was very positive.  These were the sources that affected my way of thinking the most.  I really want to believe this oil boom will be a good, safe thing for North Dakota.