If there are solutions then the gas industry would be very wise to implement them. They don’t need Congressional action to do the right thing.

If the industry continues to foul groundwater and leak large amounts of methane into the atmosphere then pressure will mount to replace NG with storage and shut down the NG industry.

It appears to me that you and others have two main objections to drilling for gas; potential contamination of water and methane leakage. Perhaps I should add to this a loathing for oil and gas industries.

I doubt if any technological improvements would allow allow you to accept gas as a transition fuel until renewables are able to completely fill the void retiring coal plants will create; but here goes….

Demand hydro-fracking be replaced by propane/butane/pentane fracking for the following reasons:

No water is is used and there is no potential for aquifer contamination or surface spills because no toxic chemicals are used or left in the ground. But you say “what about the propane / butane/pentane that is used for fracking?” The answer is the fracking liquids [ propane/butane/pentane ] are completely recovered as gas mixed with the harvested natural gas. These recovered fracking fluids/ gases can then be recycled for use at the next well.The three additional chemicals used in this process are used in the food industry and are not toxic. A side benefit of not using water is truck traffic is reduced by 80%; coming and going.

This process is also a closed system with no venting or flaring; the process of well completion that Howarth at Cornell said was responsible for one half of the life time leakage of methane into the atmosphere. New mobile gas sniffers can help find other potential pipeline leaks if we citizens would insist on the highest standards.The solutions are out there already being used but your unrealistic demand to stop gas drilling only has the effect of allowing industry to continue the traditional methods when they could do so much better if people like you demanded it.I see your attitude as analogous to the Republican attitude in Congress that has blocked President Obama’s attempts to improve the economy instead of working with him to modify workable legislation.

Hopefully some public stations instead of just cable will pick up Gasland, Part II and get even more people thinking to make it even harder for Forbes to continue their campaign.