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Is Fracking the Solution to U.S. Energy Independence?

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    “Cool It” author Bjorn Lomborg on the benefits of fracking for the U.S. energy industry.

  • Duration 3:53
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There behind you -- US energy independence may be music interiors but it's fracking that is fracking a way to get there -- new report from the food and water watch says.

That -- that you think then think again it claims the real answer is investing in renewable energy is of course because increasing production of natural gas will only continue our dependence on fossil fuels.

Awkward environmentalist Bjorn mom -- is a big supporter -- And he's here to tell us why it is the key to our energy independence thank you so much for coming back on the show would be done so what do you think fracking is evil -- -- finally -- -- -- -- Very admit they're actually making two different claims one as the energy independence which is essentially that we are more robust against.

Disruptions for instance for Ryan from our supply but -- -- two ways to think about if you're worried about disruptions you can't go to coal.

That's not actually what anyone who is suggesting instead we should go for cheap gas because even then if you get disruptions it's gonna be much less disruptive to your.

Economy while they're saying it's it's a false claim to say that we have a hundred years worth.

Natural gas stored away if only we appreciate your fracking and -- number one they're saying it's an over estimation of the actual deposits which.

You know in truth it's usually an underestimate just people go -- look at -- but regardless of the saints and over estimation and that we really go for it.

The -- we say we're going to -- that that means the only about fifty years yeah and you know.

This we've been making these kinds of studies for almost a hundred years when you look how much is there as you just pointed out.

You think there's way less them what is really there when you start looking sure we're gonna use more and more about energy we're gonna use more and more gas because it's so cheap.

And that means that there will be less than what people originally -- so maybe it's not a hundred.

Maybe goes down to fifty but we're gonna find a lot more we're gonna have a -- much more technology which will make it likely to be hundred -- even more.

But they also point because that it takes away firm.

Green energy that's what they're really annoyed about yeah we don't invest in solar and wind and all the so the so it might write and absolutely.

Right now we're is essentially investing in solar and wind because -- huge government subsidies across the industrialized world right.

But that does not sustainable nobody can actually fourth that Germany being one of the leaders have had basically have to cut back dramatically because they can't afford it.

When they start counting but they always say every energy industry needs at the beginning needs to be propped up by the government until it's viable minutes viable of this is the way we started with a bet everything else why is that wrong when -- well well the problem is with.

Been saying about for thirty or forty years and it hasn't really happened the point here is.

Gas actually and -- gas offers the opportunity cut to cut carbon emissions dramatically how congratulates.

Well -- fundamentally gas emits about 40% less than coal for the same amount of energy.

And so -- produce most of -- energy in the -- us with call now you moving towards gas and that's a great thing for the environment.

Actually you have cut twice as much as what everyone else in the world including the Kyoto Protocol and all of the EU.

And instead of what the EU is paying about 2030 billion dollars a year to do that.

You're making a hundred billion dollars a year.

That it's a much better proposition is all the fracking distracting us from the idea of developing these other sources of renewable energy.

No I think it's behind -- time because eventually we will be switching to wind and solar and all these other green technologies once it becomes sufficiently cheap.

But gas provides us that bridge for a couple decades we can actually use gas instead of coal.

We can be much cleaner -- right it's not and clean fuel but it's a much cleaner fuel and that means we can get to a point where we will eventually transition to green energy so it's actually.

A plus plus.

Right I think they'd be really meant to hear you say about but hopefully got to -- there watching it should show but anyway thanks so much for another nine tied now.