The Washington Post editorial page (10/5/12) weighed in on the contentious environmental issue of fracking. No surprise–they're all for it.

"Fracking's Green Side" is the headline in the print edition. (The Web version is different.) The editors write:

Those who would ban fracking or regulate it into oblivion ignore the exceptional benefits that inexpensive natural gas can provide in the biggest environmental fight of our time–against climate change.

Of course, many people who fight climate change don't think fracking is the answer. They point to the considerable local environmental hazards–water and air pollution, for starters–but they also question the argument that fracking is necessarily better for the climate.

The Post makes the argument that gas proponents most often cite: "Burning natural gas produces only about half the carbon emissions as burning coal."

But as fracking critics point out, this is not the only impact it has on the climate.
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