Smithsonian Insider – 2014 | Smithsonian Insider

Biological fallout of shale-gas production still largely unknown

1 August 2014

$Eight conservation biologists from various organizations and institutions, including Princeton University, found that shale-gas extraction in the United States has vastly outpaced scientists’ understanding of the industry’s environmental impact. Each gas well can act as a source of air, water, noise and light pollution (above) that — individually and collectively — can interfere with wild animal health, habitats and reproduction. Of particular concern is the fluid and wastewater associated with hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” a technique that releases natural gas from shale by breaking the rock up with a high-pressure blend of water, sand and other chemicals. (Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment )Image of Wyoming’s Jonah Field, a major site of shale development. (Photo courtesy of Ecoflight.)$

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