A new chapter opens on the controversial practice of hydraulic fracturing, with the publication of research showing the natural gas recovered from the process is no cleaner than burning coal or oil.
Cornell ecology professor Robert Howarth argues that the lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions associated with hydraulic fracturing--or fracking, as it is sometimes called--are much greater than those associated with traditional drilling methods for natural gas.
He says by the time emissions are calculated from water-trucking, pipeline-laying, cutting forests and leaking methane deposits the fuel is not worth pursuing from a climate-change perspective.
This undoubtedly will add fuel to the arguments of those who say the fracking process poses serious risk to ground water supplies.
Earlier this week, a story broke concerning three major oil companies who do not want regulations for fracking in new climate change legislation.
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