British Global Warming Policy Foundation Publishes New Report Supporting Shale Gas Drilling

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Our friends across the pond, the Brits, recognize the importance of shale gas. Science writer Matt Ridley has written a new report for the Global Warming Policy Foundation (GWPF) called The Shale Gas Shock. The report, released on May 4, provides an even-handed analysis of the benefits and potential problems with shale gas and comes down on the side that shale gas’ pluses outweigh its minuses.

Below is a description of the report from the GWPF’s website, along with a link to download the 36-page report for free.


The Global Warming Policy Foundation today publishes a detailed report about the shale gas revolution and its likely implications for UK and international climate policy.

The report The Shale Gas Shock, written by Matt Ridley and with a foreword by Professor Freeman Dyson, finds that shale gas:

  • is not only abundant but relatively cheap and therefore promises to take market share from nuclear, coal and renewable energy and to replace oil in some transport and industrial uses, over coming decades.
  • will help to keep the price of nitrogen fertiliser low and hence keep food prices down, other things being equal.
  • is unlikely to be a major source of pollution or methane emissions, but in contrast promises to reduce pollution and accelerate the decarbonisation of the world economy.

Matt Ridley, the author of the GWPF report, said:

“Abundant and relatively cheap shale gas promises to lower the cost of gas relative to oil, coal and renewables. It indefinitely postpones the exhaustion of fossil fuels and makes reducing emissions of carbon dioxide possible without raising energy prices.”

Freeman Dyson, in his foreword to the GWPF report, said:

“Shale gas is not a perfect solution to our economic and environmental problems, but it is here when it is needed, and it makes an enormous difference to the human condition.”

“Matt Ridley gives us a fair and even-handed account of the environmental costs and benefits of shale gas. The lessons to be learned are clear. The environmental costs of shale gas are much smaller than the environmental costs of coal.”

pdf Download The Shale Gas Shock (PDF, 1.58 MB)

One Comment

  1. As a Marcellus landowner, it’s good to know that the report supports the development of shale gas. But the report does not touch on the issue at hand: how to do it safely and how to insure best practices by the drilling industry.