Its a question you wouldn’t think one would even need to ask, but Is wind power worse than fracking?

The simple fact is that fossil fuels are on the verge of running out. While the estimate that we have 50 years left of these fuels may not necessarily be true the need to find new forms of energy becomes ever more important. Unfortunately the search for alternative fuels is not without controversy and various options have recently come under scrutiny. While wind power is often touted as the safer option it is worth asking whether or not wind power is worse than fracking.

In both instances these methods allow nations to reduce their reliance on importing in fuel from other countries. Research by the US Environment Protection Agency suggests that the process of extracting shale gas is safe provided it is not extracted from areas near sources of water.

The process involves the same amount of emissions as extracting natural gas. However there is the fact it is more renewable than coal and there is less risk than using nuclear energy. Recent estimates suggest that there is enough gas in the UK to power us for over 400 years!

Some critics point to the environmental impact of fracking. The counter to this is that recent studies looking at various factors such as use of natural resources, exposure to toxicity and impact on marine organisms found that fracking overall resulted in the least damage.

It is fair to say there are some risks involved with the fracking process. What experts have emphasised is that it depends on how the gas is extracted as this will affect its impact on the environment. In short if the process is handled correctly and the industry is properly regulated then any potential damage can be minimised.