Thank you. I’ve been looking for an assessment of fracking from a non-industry source, and this does a good job of outlining the issues. The parallel with NGOs’ demonization of nuclear is particularly useful. Yes, there are legitimate reasons to proceed with some caution, but these NGOS—with the willing cooperation of the media—have distorted a nuanced reality to conform to certain narratives. The risks must be weighed carefully against potential benefits.

I’ve watched cities in NYS virtuously ban fracking when they’re even not located in regions where fracking would typically take place. It sounds like “good environmentalism” to them but has little to do with science. I still don’t feel like I have a clear enough picture to say the state ban is 100% unwarranted, but I do think it needs to be reassessed.