The United Kingdom’s conservative government has issued a temporary ban on shale gas production, forcing the rest of the world to take notice. While the UK’s leaders have supported such development, its energy department now has reservations because it worries that “fracking” may lead to tremors. In the United States, natural gas has become the path of least resistance because it is plentiful and cheap. To that end, it is replacing coal for electric generation and helping to reduce the country’s carbon emissions. It is also being used as a feedstock for the manufacturing and chemical industries. Overseas, though, it ... (full story)