Why is Clare County Council trying to ban ‘fracking’? And what exactly is it?

Clare's County Council has got its knickers in a twist over proposed 'fracking' in the county. But what exactly is it and should they be rightly concerned?

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So I hear that Clare County Council is looking to ban 'fracking'. It's some kind of hip hop dance, right?

Not exactly, 'Fracking' is a term for hydraulic fracturing. All the cool kids are using it.

And hydraulic fracturing is...?

According to Wikipedia - who else? - it's 'propogation of fractures in a rock layer caused by the presence of a pressurised fluid.

Again, I'll need you to explain 'fracking' to me...

Basically, it's where oil exploration companies inject water, sand or various chemical into a bedrock at a high pressure in order to extract natural gas. It's a highly controversial practice due to perceived negative environmental consequences.

Such as?

Alleged consequences mainly centre around reduced air quality and ground water contamination. According to Food and Water Watch, fracking produces hazardous wasteweather, depletes local water supplies and can cause natural gas to migrate into drinking water sources.

So what are the people of Clare doing to fight it?

Last night campaigners attended the County Council's monthly meeting to listen to a presentation from Dr Aedin McLough, an avid anti-fracking campaigner. Members are seeking a total ban on fracking in Ireland and are to write to the Minister for Communications for his support.

Where can I learn more about this practice itself?

Your first port of call should be to watch a 2010 Oscar-nominated documentary called Gasland. The film, written and directed by Josh Fox, focuses on communities that were impacted by fracking in their local communities.

Variety's reviewer described it as "one of the most effective and expressive environmental films of recent years," so it must be mighty impressive. Some of the case studies in the film include residents that have experienced chronic health issues since fracking began in their communities.

To be honest, I felt a lot more calm when I assumed fracking was some sort of new dance craze.

Didn't we all?