The Guardian: UK shale gas is more lead balloon than silver bullet
Fracking has lit up the US energy market, driving gas prices down, but the chance of the same happening in the UK is remote, say analysts.
With the UK government expected to give the go-ahead for shale gas exploitation "soon", it's a good time to re-enter the smoke and mirrors world of fracking.
There are plenty of people bubbling with excitement at the prospect of the drilling beginning. They argue that shale gas has been the biggest cause of carbon dioxide emission cuts in the US recently, thanks to the replacement of coal. It's cheap too, they say, again pointing again to the US, and there's a vast amount under our feet here in the UK, just waiting to be freed. Lastly, shale gas is popular with the free market enthusiasts who lambast the subsidies given to renewable energy. Yet not one of these arguments stand up.on.