packing it's short for hydraulic fracturing it's different from the traditional way of getting at oil and gas reserves first a well is drilled to reach Shale that's the type of rock that traps natural gas and oil then a cocktail of water sand and chemicals is pumped in at high pressure that fractures the shell forcing natural gas and oil back up to the surface so why the hype fracking has significantly boosted energy production putting the us at the top of the oil game but it's not all sunshine and rainbows critics argue that fracking can contaminate groundwater release methane emissions and even trigger small earthquakes meanwhile Donald Trump warned that ditching fracking could devastate the economy with Market forces and Global events shaping Energy prices the real impact of fracking goes beyond politics it's a powerful tool with big benefits and big controversies so what do you think is fracking a necessary evil or a ticking time bomb