The Stream, March 29: Shale Gas Prospects in China and California

Water Shortage
Years of uncontrolled digging of wells in Yemen has almost sucked the Arabian Peninsula country dry, according to Reuters. Can new projects stave off a looming water catastrophe?

With no major natural freshwater sources, Cuba relies primarily on the whims of weather to supply itself with water. But experts warn that climate change is making droughts and dry spells in the country more frequent, Inter Press Service reported.

The drought in southeast England has spread to the north and east of the country, Reuters reported, citing the U.K. Environment Agency.

Shale Gas
Despite abundant reserves, China is facing difficulties in developing its vast gas shales, according to the Financial Times. Lack of domestic expertise and infrastructure, the country’s fairly deep shales and concerns about water have prompted some to question if China’s commercial shale gas production can live up to its reserve potential.

California’s Governor Jerry Brown said he would consider opening the state, the fourth biggest oil producer in the United States, to hydraulic fracturing to increase natural gas production if the environmental consequences of using the controversial technology can be minimized, Bloomberg News reported.

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