Australia has a new $60billion-plus industry. Suddenly it seems, coal seam gas is being foundeverywhere: under homes, under farms, under forests. Communities across thecountry are up in arms and governments are scrambling to satisfy competingdemands for affordable energy with protection of our land and water. Big oil and gas companies hope Australia will soonbe the biggest liquid natural gas exporter in the world, but Greenies andfarmers are united in their opposition to coal seam gas extraction, especiallyon our most fertile agricultural land.
In this brilliant account,journalist and energy expert Paddy Manning unpicks the coal seam gas extractionstory, visiting drill sites, boardrooms, pipelines, parliamentary offices andangry farm-gate protests. It seems that coal seam gas extraction may be oneboom that's happening too fast.