A Fracking Mess

I've been bullish on natural gas for awhile because it's domestic and burning it contributes less to climate change than burning coal or petroleum do. I know that it has environmental risks, but one good thing about it being in the US is that we can regulate the process and force the industry to use the best available technology to minimize the risks. A recent article in Vanity Fair, though, calls attention to the many potential negative ramifications of "fracking," which is part of the process of extracting natural gas. Near the bottom, it also says that the heavy reliance on trucking to cope with the massive amounts of liquids involved means that its carbon footprint is larger than previously imagined. Be good to see a thorough cost benefit analysis that included examination of the carbon emissions....