Book Launch: "The Fracking Debate"

On January 18, Resources for the Future (RFF) hosted the Washington, DC book release of Daniel Raimi’s The Fracking Debate, part of the Columbia Center on Global Energy Policy series from Columbia University Press. Raimi gave a short presentation followed by a question and answer session with Amy Harder, energy and climate reporter for Axios. Raimi also took questions from the audience.

Despite the heated debate over hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” neither side has a monopoly on the facts. Daniel Raimi’s The Fracking Debate gives a balanced and accessible view of oil and gas development, clearly and thoroughly explaining the key issues surrounding the shale revolution.

The Fracking Debate directly addresses the most common questions and concerns associated with fracking: What is fracking? Does fracking pollute the water supply? Will fracking make the United States energy independent? Does fracking cause earthquakes? How is fracking regulated? Is fracking good for the economy? Coupling a deep understanding of the scholarly research with lessons from his travels to every major US oil- and gas-producing region, Raimi highlights stories of the people and communities affected by the shale revolution, for better and for worse.

The Fracking Debate provides the evidence and context that have so frequently been missing from the national discussion of the future of oil and gas production, offering readers the tools to make sense of this critical issue.

Daniel Raimi is a senior research associate at Resources for the Future, focusing on energy and climate issues. He teaches energy policy at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan and is a faculty affiliate with the University of Michigan Energy Institute. He received his master’s in public policy from Duke University and his undergraduate degree in music from Wesleyan University.