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means a lot more methane can escape to the surface. Many _A Call for Bans on Fracking of the wells shown on the Four Corners segment, leaked gas. nthe USA, "BHP Billiton has been hit with a series of class In other areas where they use fracking ,all the chemicals _ actions as landowners allege that extraction techniques used described above are used and so similar problems described __ in its shale gas business are causing earthquakes, poisoning above occur.” Recently in Kingaroy, Queensland, one mining — water and dangerously polluting the soil and air’.” In company was banned from operating due to unacceptable —_ Arkansas, the Oil and Gas Commission suspended drilling o! risk to underground water. The Queensland government has injection wells after an increase in the incidence o rejected an appeal against the closure of Cougar Energy's earthquakes.” On 30 June 2011, France became the firs’ controversial UCG plant in Kingaroy.”’ nation to ban fracking, when the Senate voted 176 to 15 Where the Great Artesian Basin exists it seems you would _ against the destructive practice." get even more escaped methane during the process of Despite the evidence of major problems, coal seam gas extracting the gas. Therefore it would has an even higher __ extraction is escalating in Australia. In Queensland's Darling GHG footprint than shale gas." Downs, one of the nation's bes The latest statistics show that, over agricultural regions, 95 per cent of the he 20-year time frame, conventional area is covered by permits for energy gas has a higher GHG footprint than So coal seam gas exploration, many of them within does coal. It's the 100-year time : towns." Drilling for gas is planned in rame in which the footprint for has an even higher Sydney's western suburbs and also conventional gas is less than for coal, carbon footprint next to Warragamba Dam, Sydney's he upper limit of estimates still water supply.’ Disputes between being the same. Remember, this than shale gas. residents and gas companies have doesn't take into account accidents and emergencies. So there is little justification for changing from coal to natural gas on global-warming terms. Further, the GHG __ not being held to account in any way by state governments. ootprint for shale gas is a lot higher than for conventional It is clear that mining for gas using fracking not only gas (30 per cent to twice as much), and coal gas could be increases our greenhouse gases but also causes major igher than this. So, shale gas and coal seam gas should pollution. I believe we all need to think clearly about where never be substituted for coal if our aim is to reduce global — our energy comes from and what it is costing us and our warming. planet. We need to be vigilant to check whether energy is Compounded by the other devastating environmental really "green" and make sure we don't invest in companies impacts described above, it seems ludicrous even to that have fantastic propaganda rather than genuine consider this. An alarming consequence is that if carbon environmental awareness. oo begun all over Australia, but the gas companies are continuing to progress with their plans and in most cases are 18 So coal seam gas has an even higher carbon footprint Compounded by the other devastating environmental impacts described above, it seems ludicrous even to consider this. An alarming consequence is that if carbon trading schemes do not give a proper value to the GHG footprint for conventional gas, natural gas and coal seam gas, they will probably encourage their development and increase global warming. About the Author: Catherine Simons, BSc (Physics, Chemistry), is co-owner of NEXUS Magazine. Environmental issues are among her main areas of interest. Endnotes 10. Shindell, D.T. et al., "Improved Attribution of Climate Forcing 1. Doggart, Sebastian, "Frack and ruin: the rise of hydraulic to Emissions", Science 2009 Oct 30; 326(5953):716-718, Abstract at fracturing", The Telegraph, 11 July 2011, http:/tinyurl.com/69mkp8x httpv/www.sciencemag.org/content/326/ 5953/716 2. Fracking Hell: The Untold Story, http/tinyurl.com/49gygmx 11. "Underground coal gasification", http://tinyurl.com/ydqt8lz 3. Fischetti, Mark, "The Drillers Are Coming", Scientific American, 12. Lock the Gate Alliance Inc, "Coal Seam Methane Gas — Fact July 2010, p. 62 Sheet NSW", http/lockthegate.org.au/csg-facts/nsw.cfm : 13. ABC News, "Cougar's appeal against project closure rejected’, 7 July 2011, http:/Atinyurl.com/63vlpcf 14. Clarke, Renfrey, "Coal seam gas—dirtier than coal, worse than shale", Green Left Weekly online edition, 4 June 2011, http:/Avww.greenleft.org.au/node/47808 15. Wood, Leonie and Barry Fitzgerald, "US class action accuses BHP of creating toxic soup", Sydney Morning Herald, Business Day, 4. Fox, Josh, Gasland, http://tinyurl.com/6y5orgg 5. McCarthy, John, "Arrow Energy caps coal seam gas well blowout near Dalby that was spewing gas and water’, The Courier- Mail, 23 May 2011, http://Atinyurl.com/Srs8abo 6. Four Corners, "The Gas Rush", ABC TV, 21 February 2011, http://tinyurl.com/4r6whxe 7. Harvey, Fiona, "Shale gas: is it as green as the oil companies 25 May 2011, http:/tinyurl.com/3f4m8yy say?", The Guardian, 20 April 2011, httpy/tinyurl.com/3tpm9pp 16. Patel, Tara, "France Vote Outlaws 'Fracking’ Shale for Natural 8. US EPA, "Greenhouse gas emissions reporting from the Gas, Oil Extraction", Bloomberg, | July 2011, petroleum and natural gas industry. Background Technical http:/tinyurl.com/3bkfldu Support Document”, 2010, http://tinyurl.com/5vu5532 17. Toowoomba Coal Mine Action Group, 9. Howarth, R.W., R. Santoro, A. Ingraffea (Cornell University, http://twmbacmag.wordpress.com New York), "Methane and the greenhouse-gas footprint of natural 18. Barrett, Rosanne and Jodie Minus, "Suburbs in revolt as gas from shale formations" (Letter), Climatic Change 2011 Apr; exploration hits city limits", The Australian, 25 June 2011, 106:679-690, http:/tinyurl.com/69ueelw http://tinyurl.com/5uu3144 14 * NEXUS than shale gas. AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2011 www.nexusmagazine.com