Have found another interesting site that looks at Hydraulic...

Have found another interesting site that looks at Hydraulic fracturing including the chemicals commonly used:-

http://fracfocus.org/

I should note that I am not an expert and cannot say how accurate it is.

The fundamental problem is that we need exponential amounts of energy and unfortunately until we find a better source, fossil fuels seem like the transition solution.

Renewables are not efficient enough to meet the demand - as of yet. The wiz kids in UK are still a while from a working viable Fusion Reactor and the guys at CERN are centuries away from working out how to make enough anti-matter as a fuel for creating energy.

I think that everyone concerned needs to be open and transparent and come in with an open mind. Lets look at how we can make tapping those gas reserves viable and come to an agreeable solution.

A lot is riding on the mining industry in that they really do need to prove that their corporate governance is sound and that they have made provision for safety concerns. Lets just hope they manage it responsibly!