April/May 2015

Under Pressure
Our Fractured Relationship with Natural Gas

Fracking — a type of natural gas extraction — is a loud, polluting neighbor in many Appalachian communities, and the nation’s appetite for natural gas also raises concerns along the path of proposed pipelines.

As its grip grows stronger, this popular new fuel is bringing familiar burdens to a region long acquainted with the booms, busts and hidden costs of extractive energy industries, and also raising the threat of continued dependence on fossil fuels.