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In just the past few years a revolution in carbon extraction technology
has radically transformed our energy economy. Previously untapped
natural gas reserves, trapped by giant rock formations thousands of feet
below the Earth’s surface, are now accessible to us thanks to something
called hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking.” The natural gas boom that we
are now experiencing has cut natural gas prices in half since 2008, and has
hastened the demise of the coal industry, which now only provides a third
of our energy supply. The political establishment has been almost
universal in its praise of this development, calling natural gas a healthier
alternative to oil and coal and “an ideal energy source that we potentially
can use for the next hundred years,” as President Obama put it in July.
Organic message: Fracking and farming don’t mix
“Buy Fresh, Buy Local” has become the mantra of the organic
farming movement in the Northeast, a growing agricultural trend that has
sprouted in the Marcellus Shale region where an equally powerful industry
boom is buying up the land and erecting rigs to extract natural gas.
The Marcellus Shale region of Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York and
West Virginia counts the highest concentration of organic farms, raising
concerns that fracking will jeopardize produce and cause risks to farm
animals. Farming and fracking, many believe, don’t mix.
The fracking dream which is putting Britain’s future at risk
Amid the inky gloom that shrouded George Osborne when he
delivered a wintry autumn statement of more cuts and further tax rises,
there was a dreamy gleam in the eye of the chancellor. Like a Spanish
conquistador setting out for Latin America, he thinks he can find a source
of fabulous riches. This El Dorado is not made of bullion, but it sounds as
good as gold when you hear him and other enthusiasts talk about this
magic stuff. It is natural gas in underground shales. For believers, and
there are now many of them in the Tory party, shale gas is going to
provide Britain with a remarkable bonanza of cheap energy.
Proposed Rules on Fracking Gain Cautious Praise
Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, the controversial process of
shooting water, sand and chemicals underground to retrieve oil or natural
gas trapped in shale rock, has made plenty of headlines in recent years.