Bryan Walsh, writer for TIME, shared his opinions on fracking and regulations in a blog post several weeks ago.

He says that rarely do big industries ever ask for more regulation. In fact, in the business world, the consensus is that more regulation is bad and detrimental to growth.

The constant scrutiny on fracking from environmentalists has led to the rise of a determined anti-fracking movement.

Walsh describes the movement’s effect:

…that movement has had a serious slowing effect on shale gas, with states like New York and Vermont restricting fracking. Overseas the public opinion of fracking is even worse, with countries like France banning the practice altogether. The International Energy Agency (IEA) has said that the world could be entering a Golden Age of Gas, so plentiful are shale deposits in countries around the world, which means the gas is there. But environmental concerns—if unanswered—could end that age early.

He calls for new regulations, not to hinder the growth of the industry, but to ensure it continues to be prosperous. He argues that with regulations, public opinion of the industry may change, lowering the resistance to fracturing.

» Via: TIME Science › Why the Shale Gas Industry Needs Regulations for Fracking