Across the country, fracking -- the extraction of natural gas by hydraulic fracturing -- is being touted as the nation's answer to energy independence and a fix for a flagging economy. Drilling companies assure us that the process is safe, politicians push through drilling legislation without a serious public-health debate, and those who speak out are marginalized, their silence purchased by gas companies and their warnings about the dangers of fracking...

Corporate salesman Steve Butler has been dispatched to the rural town of McKinley with his sales partner to offer much-needed relief to the economically hard-hit residents in exchange for drilling rights to their properties. As they grapple with a surprising array of both open hearts and closed doors, the outsiders soon discover the strength of an American small town at a crossroads.

Overview: The use of fracking is a tremendously important technology for the recovery of oil and gas, but the advantages and costs of fracking remain controversial. This book examines the issues and social, economic, political, and legal aspects of fracking in the United States. Provides readers with a complete historical review of the origins, development, and expansion of the use of fracking. -- Explains the technical principles related to the use...

Reviews and explains some of the key peer-reviewed, independent scientific studies related to shale gas and its production as well as the extraction of other fuel sources and the storage of waste products associated with them.