Natural gas drilling sign[/caption]Gordon Matilla----It isn't just the United States and the Keystone Pipeline, as well as shale gas, where the oil and gas companies are looking to make a killing in the energy production but the UK involved as well in the debate over the environment and energy needs, as folks deliberate opportunity versus environmental risk.
Energy stories have dominated the British press for some time with accent on energy production, as protestors are determined to the stop progress at the Balcome fracking site. The energy industry looks to making Britain a self-sufficient nation with respect to natural gas and job creation.
And the US is seen as an example for exporting Shale gas as the UK looks also to fulfilling nine years of gas demand. David Cameron, the British Prime Minister, is in favor of the plan, even as President Barack Obama continues to try to balance the needs of the US and the concerns of environmentalists.
Proponents of natural gas believe the Shale Gas drilling could bring about bring a serious boost to the UK economy and create over 74,000 jobs, especially in the North West
Envronmentals in the UK, however, argue against fracking for the same reasons they are concerned about the process in the US, that it harms the environment. Specifically they are concerned about the chemicals that release pollutants into local water and cause fires. They also worry about earthquakes, as two minor ones have occurred near Blackpool.
In the US proponents of fracking say natural gas has more benefits for energy than other sources such as coal. That's because it can burn cleaner. Furthermore leaders in the gas industry point to the economic growth as another major reason for developing natural gas.
Opponents like Michael Kelly, who is the media liaison for the Southwestern Pennsylvania Environmental Health Project maintains, “There are so many unknowns about this that we're creating a mass health experiment, and it's being conducted without the consent of the people who are most likely to be hurt by it.”
