Lots of investment needed, which is good for the economy, cheaper gas prices, which is good for the economy, with people bemoaning that there is no growth in the economy, what is there not to like?
Links to earthquakes, polluted groundwater, etc, etc are not yet proven.
I'm looking to see a bit more conclusive research before I write it off altogether.
There is what seems to be a reasonably balanced view here :
http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/briefings/shale_gas.pdf
Of more annoyance to me is not whether we allow a bit of fracking or not, but why successive governments have not invested into research and small scale trials of carbon capture and storage, or methods for energy storage from renewals.
I would also make it compulsory to publish real time data from windfarms so the public at large can see if they are
really making any useful contribution. I get the feeling they do sod all to really reduce our need of conventional power stations.