Emerging Issues in Shale Gas Development — Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy – Oct. 10 Webinar
The Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy presents:
The Policy Workshop Webinar Series: Emerging Issues in Shale Gas Development
Environmental Implications of Shale-Gas Development: Frack versus Fiction
Wednesday, October 10, 2012 | 4:00-5:00 PM EDT
Speaker: Dr. Jim Saiers, Professor of Hydrology, Yale University
Register here: https://www4.gotomeeting.com/register/856567871
The Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy invites you to participate
in our second annual policy workshop webinar series, Emerging Issues in
Shale Gas Development. Natural gas extraction generally, and shale gas
extraction in particular, has become a highly charged issue as stakeholders
debate its effects on environmental and public health and its role in our
future energy mix. This webinar series seeks to answer important questions
about extraction, the environment, and the future of energy by grounding
that debate with expert speakers from a variety of disciplines.
Dr. Jim Saiers, Professor of Hydrology at Yale University, will launch the
series with an overview of the environmental implications of shale gas
development.
His presentation will be followed by a Q&A session with the audience.
Presentation Abstract:
Is U.S. shale gas a blessing or a curse? In this presentation, Professor
Saiers will evaluate several of the claims made by proponents and opponents
of shale-gas development in light of available evidence. More generally, he
will present a primer on shale gas, focusing on the effects of shale-gas
extraction and its attendant activities on the environment. This primer will
cover the nature and supplies of shale gas and the history of the fracking
methods used to unlock this resource. Professor Saiers will, through the
course of the presentation, distinguish between what is known, only
suspected, and unknown, leaving you to decide whether shale gas is a
blessing or a curse, if it’s too early to judge, or if its future defies
this either/or characterization.
About the Speaker:
Professor Saiers studies the circulation of water and the movement of
waterborne chemicals in surface and subsurface environments. One element of
his research centers on quantifying the effects that interactions between
hydrological and geochemical processes have on the migration of contaminants
in groundwater. Another focus is on the dynamics of surface water and
groundwater flow in wetlands and the response of fluid flow characteristics
to changes in climate and water management practices. His work couples field
observations and laboratory-scale experimentation with mathematical
modeling.
About the Series:
Hosted and sponsored by the Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy,
our second annual webinar series highlights emerging issues in shale gas
development. The series is publicly available online and promoted to both
domestic and international academic and policy communities, including
governmental officials, think tank analysts, climate change advocates,
professors, and students. The webinar format enables interested parties to
access and participate in these presentations from anywhere in the world.
The series is free and open to the public.
The next presentation is scheduled for Thursday, November 8, at 12:00 PM
EST. Dr. Ramón Alvarez, a senior scientist in Environmental Defense Fund’s
Texas office, will discuss the ongoing efforts to better quantify the
methane losses associated with natural gas production. Registration is
available online at https://www4.gotomeeting.com/register/790770447
