Hydraulic fracturing (fracking) is used to enhance oil and gas production, and the recent news has been positive for the process and unwelcome for those opposing the practice. A Denver Post editorial says, “Fracking has been conducted for decades and is now a routine procedure in the vast majority of drilling operations and yet federal and state regulators have not identified one confirmed instance in which fracking chemicals have migrated through layers of shale to groundwater.”

Citizens of cities along the Colorado Front Range have passed referendums that prohibit fracking within their city limits. There are many people who oppose any process that produces hydrocarbons for energy, and they consider hydraulic fracturing negatively because of the success of that process. Colorado Governor Hickenlooper has angered them by taking the position that the cities do not have the right to prohibit the activity, which is controlled by state law.

There is no doubt the practice has energized large groups of vocal critics. There were public hearings in Boulder where industry representatives testifying about the safety of the practice had to have escorts to leave the site of the hearing as angry people threatened them. The Department of Energy has now issued a report summarizing an extensive study that has found no evidence of risks to groundwater from hydraulic fracturing, which is what the industry representatives were trying to tell the gathering.

I have observed energized opponents successfully present a strong unified front to prevent the use of new technologies. There are many instances where I find the opposition to be a bit baffling, but the opposition to hydraulic fracturing is close to the top of the list. The practice is leading the United States to energy independence, which is an important component of national security and economic security. Prices of natural gas have been reduced, which is positive for anyone who has a home furnace or hot water heater fueled by natural gas. On the environmental front, natural gas is a source of energy that produces less carbon dioxide that burning coal or oil. As a result, the United States, a non-signatory of the Kyoto pact, has reduced carbon dioxide emissions dramatically.

Why would there be opposition to hydraulic fracturing if it doesn’t contaminate groundwater and it has a positive environmental impact? My guess is that cheaper natural gas prices have been detrimental to those who want renewable energy (and not nuclear energy) to replace the production of energy by burning hydrocarbons.