Free Republic

ALBANY — While the protesters who packed the stone stairwell of the state Capitol chanted "Ban Fracking Now," the political types in suits down the hall spoke of a different reality. Those protesters at Tuesday's anti-fracking rally in Albany carried signs saying "Governor Cuomo In 2014 We'll Remember" — a warning to Andrew Cuomo they won't vote for him if he doesn't ban the natural-gas extraction technique of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. The buzz among the men and women outside the state Senate chamber said Cuomo's presumed political aspirations are the exact reason why there's so much pressure on him...

A controversial method for extracting oil and natural gas from rock is prompting environmental organizations to action. But oil and gas experts say the fracking is safe and necessary to provide clean energy. The Marcellus Shale is a rock formation deep under Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio and West Virginia. It's believed to hold 1.9 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. Oil and gas company's use a method called hydraulic fracking to extract it. The process involves drilling a hole and pumping in water to fracture the rock to release the gas. "The fracking fluid itself is 99.5 percent sand and...