In the early twenty-first century, the shale-gas and shale-oil revolution took off in the United States, and Dr. Palmer was in the middle of it, beginning a new career as a consultant in oil and gas production. Dr. Palmer had worked as a fracking engineer for eighteen years at a major oil and gas company, but he gained a fresh perspective in his consultant role—the environmental view. He did extensive R&D work and taught professional classes on shale-gas and shale-oil.

The Shale Controversy assesses the pros and cons of the shale revolution in an open and transparent way, and it is written for lay readers as well as experts. Dr. Palmer strives to clarify emotional issues with facts and data, enumerating the benefits of cheap gas and oil for personal household and work use as well as the trade balance achieved for the United States. On a global scale, cheap energy has lifted millions of people into the middle class. A downside is the threat, present and future, of earthquakes induced by wastewater disposal in connection with drilling of shale wells. Although the threat has declined in Oklahoma, Texas could find the menace recurring in the mighty Permian basin.

The hot topic of global warming attributed to the burning of fossil fuels, including shale-oil and shale-gas, leads Dr. Palmer’s thoughts to the dilemma and immense challenge faced by oil and gas companies. Dr. Palmer rounds out the book with a discussion on how rapidly global warming needs to be constrained and a summary of potential solutions to meet the deadlines that the experts insist are coming at us fast.

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Introduction

“Whether you are pro or con fracking, this book provides a solid science foundation and weighs the issues to reveal the facts around the shale controversies. Truly an informative and enjoyable read!”
Melanie Will-Cole, College lecturer.

I started writing this book five years ago when an editor suggested I write a book about fracking and earthquakes, which were big at that time in Oklahoma. A lot of folks wanted to blame fracking for the earthquakes. So I started writing – partly to answer this question.

Then a colleague said he opposed fracking because it contributed to global warming. So I researched global warming to find out whether his statement was correct.

The result is a large truth book, about 250 pages and 70 illustrations. Lots of pictures because the book is written for laypersons (as well as experts) who want to know the truth about fracking and global warming, and the role of oil-and-gas companies in all this.

“Not everyone is going to pick up a book about shale, but I found this to be very informative and surprisingly easy to follow and comprehend.“

“The author’s use of graphics was beneficial but not over-used.“

Dr. Palmer took a complex topic and presented his material in layman terms for a general audience, even adding suggested topics and chapters for those not inclined to read this book from beginning to end.

Since fracking is a hot topic, this would provide a better understanding of what is involved and the pros and cons of shale-oil and shale-gas.“

Why title the book, The Shale Controversy?

Shale is short for shale-gas and shale-oil, which since 2000 has been a revolution in the USA. By that we mean production of shale-oil and shale-gas has boomed and led to cheap gasoline, aircraft fuel, home heating, and plastics.

So where’s the controversy in that? Well, the shale industry’s success has been accompanied by risk and problems. The new technology of fracking in long horizontal wells, the key to shale success, has been connected to contamination of aquifers and drinking water, shortage of water supplies in drier drilling locales, earthquakes, and global warming.

The good and the bad are rolled in together – and that makes it controversial. Click here to purchase.

Chapter about Australia

In the middle of the book is a fascinating chapter on Australia – a poster-child for global warming. I went there to see for myself……almost exactly one year ago.

The normal rugged beauty of the outback had the life sucked out of it by a soul-destroying drought in southeastern Australia. We saw dead kangaroos along the road and encountered others pitifully scratching for water in dry sandy creek beds.

Then I was transported to the heavenly delights of the Great Barrier Reef in northeastern Australia where the mountains touch sun-splashed beaches. But evidence of global warming could be seen even there in outbreaks of severe coral bleaching.

Two months after my visit the worst wildfires ever shocked southeastern Australia and 3 billion animals were killed or displaced.

The dilemma faced by oil, natural gas, and coal industries

The Shale Controversy addresses the immense challenges faced by these companies due to the threat of global warming – attributed to the burning of fossil fuels, including shale-oil and shale-gas. Should oil and gas companies cut back on drilling and fracking? By how much? And how soon?

The book rounds out the debate with solutions to avoid potential disasters that the climate experts insist are coming at us fast. Curiously, one of the solutions could be implemented by geologists and petroleum engineers right now.

The book is available on Amazon, as a paperback and in eBook format. Click HERE to preview and purchase. Click to read Chapter 1 on this website.

As Bob Moore, a petroleum engineer, says in the Foreword to The Shale Controversy:
“Regardless of which side of the debate you are on, if you think it is a good idea to ban fracking or you think that the extraction of oil and gas from shale is critical to human happiness, your arguments should be based on facts and not myths or untruths.

Dr. Palmer not only gives you the facts but also delves into the gray areas between the facts, where debate is needed. He introduces two characters, Pandora and Aladdin, who carry out this much-needed debate in his book.”

More about climate change

Click here for more about climate change.

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