It appears that science has now caught up with shale gas extraction technology, and the result is a toxic shock :-
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=fracking-for-natural-gas-pollutes-water-wells
“Hydraulic Fracturing for Natural Gas Pollutes Water Wells : A new study indicates that fracturing the Marcellus Shale for natural gas is contaminating private drinking water wells : By David Biello, Scientific American, May 9, 2011”
This might come as a bit of a nasty blowback for Christopher Booker, who was singing the praises of “gamechanger” shale gas at the weekend :-
“Shale gas could solve the world’s energy problems : It’s anathema to environmentalists, but shale gas is a new fossil-fuel source that could power the world for centuries : By Christopher Booker 7:30PM BST 07 May 2011”
Booker claims for shale gas that its “…”environmental footprint” is minimal…” and paraphrases Matt Ridley’s “The Shale Gas Shock” that shale gas is “environmentally friendly, because its CO2 emissions are much less than those of coal or oil.” Not so certain, Mr Booker, sir :-
https://www.joabbess.com/2011/02/11/shale-gas-travelling-circus/
I wonder if Christopher Booker is going to come to grief over his claims about shale gas in a similar way to his claims over family courts, in which a judge wrote of him that his opinion was “unbalanced, inaccurate and just plain wrong” ? :-
Why should we believe Christopher Booker on shale gas ? Do we take Christopher Booker at his word on any other of his opinions ? Here’s just a selection :-
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/1556118/Christopher-Bookers-notebook.html
https://richardwilsonauthor.wordpress.com/2008/09/23/bookers-38-bogus-claims-about-white-asbestos/
https://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/georgemonbiot/2009/feb/03/climate-change-daily-telegraph-christopher-booker
A bit late in the day, rulebooks are being written :-
https://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/07/science/earth/07frack.html?_r=1
Meanwhile, ordinary citizens are shutting the door to shale gas until more is known :-
https://royaldutchshellplc.com/2011/05/04/shell-cites-history-to-allay-karoo-fears/
https://nofrackinguk.com/
https://shaleshock.org/
In my view, if ever there was an energy “solution” being kept afloat purely by public relations, shale gas is it.