A US study that links fracking to high concentrations of methane in drinking wells has sparked debate about the technique for extracting natural gas.
A new study released on Monday has shown that "fracking" can pollute drinking water, although it is uncertain the impact this has on human health.
The Democratic Alliance’s Geordin Hill-Lewis seems to think that fracking is not a "simple matter".
The democratic Alliance’s Geordin Hill-Lewis responds to a reader who believes the party supports fracking.
It has happened at last. The Democratic Alliance has finally lost the vote of the white Cape Town elite, writes Andrew Verrijdt.
Last year provided a wealth of meetings and conferences with minimal outcomes, while catastrophes continued to show how the climate is changing.
The Democratic Alliance’s federal congress has dropped a contentious resolution greenlighting hydraulic fracking in the Karoo.
The DA is to debate its stance on fracking in the Karoo as a resolution supporting the process has been passed without following correct procedures.
I am sure all thinking South Africans are as shocked as I am by the Cabinet’s decision to green-light fracking, writes Michael MacCarthy.
Nine pages – that is all South Africa got after months of silence over hydraulic fracturing for shale gas in the Karoo.
Despite severe criticism from environmentalists, the state is punting shale gas as a greener way to secure South Africa’s future electricity supply.
Cabinet has lifted the moratorium on exploring for shale gas in the Karoo, saying "fracking" may well be needed to solve SA’s energy woes.
Not even the most ardent critics are holding out any hope that the moratorium on hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, in the Karoo will be extended.
Existing legislation does not address the legal, environmental and social ramifications of fracking, says David Fig.
Energy Minister Dipuo Peters says South Africa is at a critical point where any means to increase energy supply should be explored.
Energy Minister Dipuo Peters says nuclear energy would help Africa realise its energy security goals.
Recent remarks in Parliament suggest that the state is being lined up as a major player in shale gas development.
Gas-fired power stations have many advantages and there is an abundance of domestic supply, writes Lynley Donnelly.
The minister of energy has backed fracking for gas in the Karoo, but what could this mean for South Africa’s nuclear ambitions?
South Africa’s mining industry needs a tax regime that keeps it globally competitive, says Minister for Mineral Resources Susan Shabangu.
There is "merit" in carrying out some fracking for shale gas in the Karoo, environmental affairs director-general Nosipho Ngcaba says.
US NGO Water Defence, headed by actor Mark Ruffalo, has joined forces with the Treasure Karoo Action Group against hydraulic fracturing.
Anti-fracking lobby group gets celebrity to be the face of its campaign.
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/ 1 December 2011
News that Sasol has decided to postpone its shale gas exploration in the Karoo has been welcomed by the Treasure Karoo Action Group.
Enemy at the gate, or Karoo’s saviour? Shell’s Jan Willem Eggink discusses the environmental risks and economic upsides of hydraulic fracturing.
A company using hydraulic fracturing to release natural gas from shale rock said the technique probably did trigger earth tremors in April and May.
There’s too much we still don’t know about the much-rumoured shale gas trapped beneath the ground in the Karoo, says scientist Maarten de Wit.
Shale gas primarily made up of methane and could offer a cleaner alternative to coal if safely harvested, a South African academic has argued.
The jury is still out on mining shale gas: will the economic benefits outweigh the environmental concerns?
Anglo-Dutch energy giant Shell has been ordered to withdraw "unsubstantiated" claims about hydraulic fracturing it made in newspaper adverts in SA.
The US is seeing a natural gas boom thanks to discoveries of abundant shale gas, and at the same time a groundswell of opposition from critics.
About 3 000 people marched on Saturday to call for a end in Quebec to shale gas exploitation and a technique known as fracking.