Public perception of shale gas extraction in the UK: How people's views are changing

Global energy consumption is forecast to increase at an average annual rate of 1.6 % over the next two decades with total consumption rising from 504.7 to 769.8 quads between 2008 and 2035, according to EIA figures.1 Notwithstanding the significant concerns about our continued dependence on fossil fuels and their impacts on the environment, they will provide much of the World's energy for the foreseeable future. It is anticipated, however, that there will be a shift in the relative balance of the fossil fuel mix with natural gas usage increasing significantly and according to a recent report by the IEA2, the rapid development of ‘unconventional’ natural gas resources, most notably shale gas, could herald a’ golden age for gas’ with demand surpassing that for coal by 2030, and by 2035 natural gas could account for 25% of all global energy use.