In the last decade, high volume hydraulic fracturing (commonly known as fracking) has expanded dramatically as the oil and gas industry has begun to exploit new sources of fossil fuels. This process has been highly controversial with numerous concerns about its impact on the environment. These concerns can be categorized into three basic groups: physical, biological, and social. Physical refers to the changes occurring to the physical landscape. Biological refers to the impacts on the ecological functioning of the natural systems. Social refers to the broad impacts on human societies. These three different realms are interconnected in complex ways that are only understood at a rudimentary level, yet the impacts are likely to increase across the globe as hydraulic fracturing continues to expand. This symposium seeks to discuss these impacts with the hope of developing a broad framework that can help mitigate the impacts, promote conservation, and improve social well-being.