Editorial Board
Cleanly Exploit the Great Promise of Shale Gas Fracking: View
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Hydraulic fracturing, or , the extraction of natural gas from rock thousands of feet below ground, is the latest point of strain in the energy-versus-environment tug of war. We side with those who focus on the technique’s promise.
As long as the wells and wastewater pits are carefully built and maintained, fracking can be a relatively clean and safe way to obtain natural gas. Because natural gas can reduce U.S. consumption of crude oil and coal, it can lessen dependence on Mideast oil and significantly reduce greenhouse gases and acid rain.