Fracking
Issues in Environmental Science and Technology Series Set, June 2015
http://pubs.rsc.org/bookshop/bookset/978-1-78262-574-2
Book review by Cecilia Fenech
Cranfield University
c.fenech@cranfield.ac.uk
ECG Bulletin January 2016
http://pubs.rsc.org/bookshop/bookset/978-1-78262-574-2
Book review by Cecilia Fenech
Cranfield University
c.fenech@cranfield.ac.uk
ECG Bulletin January 2016
Shale gas hydraulic fracturing (fracking) is considered by some to be essential for securing our energy future and increasing the energy mix, while others consider it highly damaging to the environment. Fracking is thus both controversial and topical, particularly in the UK, where it is not yet practised on a commercial basis, but is receiving high-level support. This book, edited by R. E. Hester and R. M. Harrison, aims to outline both sides of the debate with contributions from scientists, policymakers, and industry.
Each of the eight chapters is a stand-alone piece written by a different author or group of authors, allowing the reader to get a deeper understanding of a specific angle of the debate. The book as a whole provides a comprehensive understanding by combining more technical sections (e.g. including details of fracking operations and hydraulic wells) and less technical policy sections related to shale gas operations around the world. Each chapter is also well-referenced, enabling readers to explore the concepts further. This makes the book accessible to readers with differing purposes, from a passing interest in the fracking debate to a requirement for a deeper understanding of more technical aspects.
Each of the eight chapters is a stand-alone piece written by a different author or group of authors, allowing the reader to get a deeper understanding of a specific angle of the debate. The book as a whole provides a comprehensive understanding by combining more technical sections (e.g. including details of fracking operations and hydraulic wells) and less technical policy sections related to shale gas operations around the world. Each chapter is also well-referenced, enabling readers to explore the concepts further. This makes the book accessible to readers with differing purposes, from a passing interest in the fracking debate to a requirement for a deeper understanding of more technical aspects.
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The book starts with an overview of the role that shale gas may play in securing our energy future. As Peter Hardy (UK Institute of Gas Engineers) explains, fracking is widely touted as the answer to depleted natural gas deposits as it enables the economical extraction of unconventional shale gas. However, fracking brings with it a number of environmental, human health, and safety concerns. Concerns relate to the chemicals used in the fracking process and their disposal, greenhouse gas emissions; and the hydraulic fracturing process itself, which has been linked to earthquakes in the vicinity of such activities.
The following chapters explore the economic impacts of shale gas in the USA (F. Taheripour et al., Purdue University); considerations for shale gas and shale oil exploration (I. Scotchman, Statoil); climate change impacts (J. Broderick & R. Wood, Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research); hydrogeological aspects of UK extraction (R. Ward et al., British Geological Survey); the Australian experience with coal seam gas recovery (A. Randall, University of Sydney); and Chinese prospects for shale gas (S. Jiang, University of Utah). |
Credit: Serz_72/Shutterstock
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In the final chapter, T. Bosworth (Friends of the Earth) argues that shale gas is “unburnable and unwanted” as its environmental concerns far outweigh any potential benefit. Although the book has a UK focus, chapters relating to the experiences in different countries (USA, Australia and China) broaden its scope considerably. These chapters also highlight the specific considerations that may make shale gas hydraulic fracturing suitable or unsuitable depending on the circumstances.
The use of shale gas in the UK is still in its infancy, and a number of hurdles remain to be overcome prior to commercial success. How far should the UK go to overcome these hurdles while taking into account health and other concerns? What role should shale gas play in the UK’s energy mix—a key energy source for the foreseeable future, a transitional fuel, or none at all? The book does not give answers to any of these questions, but rather provides an illuminating overview of both sides of the debate, allowing the reader to form an educated opinion.
Fracking: Issues in Environmental Science and Technology, No. 39, 2015, editors R. E. Hester and R. M. Harrison, Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge, ISBN: 978-1-84973-920-7, DOI: 10.1039/9781782620556.
The use of shale gas in the UK is still in its infancy, and a number of hurdles remain to be overcome prior to commercial success. How far should the UK go to overcome these hurdles while taking into account health and other concerns? What role should shale gas play in the UK’s energy mix—a key energy source for the foreseeable future, a transitional fuel, or none at all? The book does not give answers to any of these questions, but rather provides an illuminating overview of both sides of the debate, allowing the reader to form an educated opinion.
Fracking: Issues in Environmental Science and Technology, No. 39, 2015, editors R. E. Hester and R. M. Harrison, Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge, ISBN: 978-1-84973-920-7, DOI: 10.1039/9781782620556.
