The environmental risks of fracking

While the dream of natural gas-based energy independence for the U.S. beckons from the horizon, the path there is not an easy one. Earlier this month the Wall Street Journal had this article describing the thousands of jobs and billions of dollars that may come from the industry, but they also noted that the Department of Environmental Protection in Pennsylvania is developing regulations to keep extraction as clean as possible. A new report out recently from the Worldwatch Institute reiterates the dangers and the potential benefits. Careful regulation can make the dream a reality, but as always, oversight is necessary.