WHY IS SHALE GAS THE NEXT BIG THING IN ENERGY PRODUCTION

Shale gas is a natural gas found in sedimentary rock This rock is found thousands of feet below the earth's surface The energy companies drill or frack for the natural gas (Fracking is a method of drilling that involves pumping high-pressure water and chemicals into the rock to release the natural gas ) Why is shale gas so important? For one thing, it's a very cheap source of energy It will lead to lower energy prices That's good news for the average consumer It's also very important in terms of foreign policy The United States imports a lot of its energy from overseas That's becoming more and more expensive Shale gas gives the United States a new source of cheap energy That will reduce the US trade deficit Shale gas will also lower US oil imports That's important because the United States has a lot of enemies in the Middle East It's nice not to be dependent on them for our energy It will also create a lot of new jobs The energy industry is one of the most important industries in the United States Shale gas will lead to many new jobs But not everyone is happy about shale gas There are some serious environmental concerns about fracking Fracking is a very noisy process It can also cause earthquakes and sinkholes People who live near fracking sites complain about the noise and the smell There are also concerns about water contamination Fracking uses a lot of water That water contains chemicals that can pollute groundwater WHAT ARE THE ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF FRACKING? The economic benefits of fracking are not just important in the United States The US is not the only country that can benefit from shale gas Canada and Australia are also rich in shale gas Shale gas is important for the global economy One of the most interesting things about shale gas is that it's a cheap source of energy Shale gas is only one-third as expensive as oil It's even cheaper than coal Energy prices have been rising in recent years Cheaper energy is good news for everyone It will mean that we can consume more products and services That's a huge boost for the global economy Shale gas is also important for the global economy because it's an alternative energy source Right now, the United States only produces about half of the energy it uses