The Politics of Natural Gas ProductionIn 2010, about 25 percent of the country's energy came from natural gas, a "fossil fuel" that consumers and American businesses rely heavily on transportation and lighting. , and heat (Squire 6). As the U.S. population grows, so do the country's energy needs. The political debate over how the United States can meet these needs has been brewing slowly for several decades, intensifying exponentially when energy supplies become scarce. Disputes over the cleanliness of natural gas, as opposed to coal, dominate newspapers and presidential campaigns. Under President George W. Bush, a bill exempting oil and gas companies from federal environmental restrictions was passed, paving the way for natural gas companies to increase production across the country using new technology. drilling, allowing easier extraction of shale gas. The process of hydraulic fracturing drilling or “fracking” has become synonymous with controversy. For what? Hydraulic fracturing involves injecting dangerously toxic chemicals, mixed with large quantities of water and sand, into wells at extremely high pressure, to release natural gas. Touted by the natural gas industry as a cleaner, safer alternative to coal, the process of fracking has made shale gas abundant, which seems to some Americans like the best answer to their energy prayers. However, the negative consequences associated with natural gas extraction through hydraulic fracturing, including environmental risks and threats to public health, far outweigh the benefits. Drilling for natural gas can cause water contamination. In his Oscar-nominated documentary Gasland, filmmaker Josh Fox conducted interviews with families in Pennsylvania, Colorado and Wyoming whose drinking water...... middle of paper ......First. Internet. November 25, 2013. Rao, Vikram. Shale gas: the promise and the peril. Research Triangle Park, NC: RTI, 2012. Print. “Researchers examine health effects of 'fracking'. Nation's Health 42.2 (2012): 14. Academic Research Premier. Internet. November 26, 2013. Roth, Sammy. “Why go beyond natural gas.” Sierra Club. Sierra Club, August 15, 2013. Web. November 25, 2013. Squire, Ann. Hydrofracturing: The process that changed America's energy needs. New York: Scholastic, 2013. Print. United States. Environmental Protection Agency. Methane and nitrous oxide emissions from natural sciences. Washington: Office of Atmospheric Programs, April 2010. Web. November 27, 2013. Weeks, Jennifer. “Energy policy”. CQ Researcher May 20, 2011: 457-80. Internet. November 16, 2013. Wilber, Tom. Beneath the Surface: Hydraulic Fracturing, the Fortunes and Fate of the Marcellus Shale. Ithaca: Cornell UP, 2012. Print.