US promote responsible fracking

Domestic natural gas exploited by fracking could be the “bridge fuel” that could help build a renewable energy future, according to a recent feature in the New York Times, which is why the Environmental Defence Fund is upping efforts to make this extraction method viable and responsible.

Fred Krupp, the president of the Environmental Defence Fund, recently talked to the news provider about the value of natural gas in America, and its future in regards to safety concerns.

Shale gas makes up more than 30 per cent of the country’s natural gas supply, up from two per cent in 2001, and this figure is likely to continue to increase. This makes the gas too important to just leave in the ground. Mr Krupp has been charged by Steven Chu, the secretary of energy, with assessing the problems associated with fracking.

Methane leaks were found to be a key problem of fracking, and methane that escapes into the air can be potent. Though it eventually disintegrates, for several decades methane can add significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. Nobody knows how much methane leaks into the air as a result of fracking, but it is estimated the leak rate at a little more than two per cent.

Minimising these leaks can mean a lot to the environment, which is why it is always on the top of the agenda. There are cost effective ways of doing this, and regulation may soon be on the horizon in the industry, once an effective method has been drawn up.

Posted by Joseph Hutton