Snake Oil

Subtitled 'how fracking's false promise of plenty imperils our future', this is the latest in a series of informative books that I have reviewed by Richard Heinberg. Its appearance in the UK is particularly timely as the debate hots up between proponents and opponents of fracking. For Heinberg, the hype has been overdone and the promises exaggerated, creating a distraction from the real agenda of achieving a sustainable energy system and reducing dependency on fossil fuels. In Britain, the geology is less favourable than in the US, and even in the US, in the view of the author, there will be a steep decline in output over a ten-year period, forcing companies to find yet more drilling locations. Hence the long-term significance of this development has been overstated and the hidden costs downplayed. The book is a well-researched corrective to industry propaganda and conventional wisdom. For instance, the energy return on energy invested is significantly higher than conventional resources, the production from shale gas wells typically declines 80 to 95% the first three years, and the environmental effects on water can be serious. All in all, the industry has purchased a few years of respite but the overall sustainable energy agenda remains unchanged, especially in view of the relationship between burning fossil fuels and climate change.