ieaTV recently caught up with science journalist Matt Ridley to discuss the potential benefits of shale gas exploration in the UK. In the interview above, Ridley explains that shale gas is readily available in the UK and can be extracted relatively cheaply. He discusses why there is so opposition to fracking, and suggests that many of the environmental problems associated with the method of extraction are myths. He also discusses the implications of a different mineral rights regime here compared to in the United States, and how the public perception of fracking shale gas could be improved if the benefits to us were better explained.

Other IEA publications on energy: From Nationalisation to State Control – The Return of Centralised Energy Planning