eprintid: 1718 rev_number: 12 eprint_status: archive userid: 6 dir: disk0/00/00/17/18 datestamp: 2016-07-08 07:34:15 lastmod: 2017-02-08 12:21:35 status_changed: 2016-07-08 07:34:15 type: article metadata_visibility: show creators_name: Hays, Jake creators_name: Finkel, Madelon L. creators_name: Depledge, Michael creators_name: Law, Adam creators_name: Shonkoff, Seth B.C. corp_creators: PSE Healthy Energy, United States, Weill Cornell Medical College corp_creators: Weill Cornell Medical College corp_creators: University of Exeter Medical School, United Kingdom corp_creators: Weill Cornell Medical College corp_creators: PSE Healthy Energy, United States, University of California, Berkeley, United States title: Considerations for the development of shale gas in the United Kingdom subjects: O subjects: RU subjects: SHU divisions: SHEER full_text_status: none keywords: Natural gas development; Shale gas; Policy; Environmental health; United Kingdom abstract: The United States shale gas boom has precipitated global interest in the development of unconventional oil and gas resources. Recently, government ministers in the United Kingdom started granting licenses that will enable companies to begin initial exploration for shale gas. Meanwhile, concern is increasing among the scientific community about the potential impacts of shale gas and other types of unconventional natural gas development (UGD) on human health and the environment. Although significant data gaps remain, there has been a surge in the number of articles appearing in the scientific literature, nearly three-quarters of which has been published since the beginning of 2013. Important lessons can be drawn from the UGD experience in the United States. Here we explore these considerations and argue that shale gas development policies in the UK and elsewhere should be informed by empirical evidence generated on environmental, public health, and social risks. Additionally, policy decisions should take into account the measured effectiveness of harm reduction strategies as opposed to hypothetical scenarios and purported best practices that lack empirical support. date: 2015-04 date_type: published publication: Science of The Total Environment volume: 512-51 publisher: Elsevier pagerange: 36-42 id_number: doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.01.004 issn: 0048-9697 official_url: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.01.004 access_IS-EPOS: limited owner: Publisher citation: Hays, Jake and Finkel, Madelon L. and Depledge, Michael and Law, Adam and Shonkoff, Seth B.C. (2015) Considerations for the development of shale gas in the United Kingdom. Science of The Total Environment, 512-51. pp. 36-42. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.01.004