Resolving fractured debates about fracking? The shale gas industry in South Africa

The extraction of shale gas is often said to have considerable benefits as an alternative and relatively new source of energy and as a creator of jobs, with the consequent social and economic advantages that follow. Why, then, would communities as different and geographically far apart as those in Lancashire and the Eastern Cape be so determinedly opposed to fracking? The reasons are numerous: the extraction process is water intensive in the face of water scarcity; the potentially carcinogenic chemicals used in the process may escape and contaminate ground water; air pollution is also common; heavy transport (for equipment and water) will have substantial environmental impacts; and the activity can ruin valuable or tourist-intensive landscapes. In short, the extraction of shale gas may well present significant environmental, technical, social and economic challenges - along with any benefits that it might bring.