The much-touted 50% reduction in climate impact from burning gas is not likely to be achieved for many decades -- if ever -- due to leaking. And we don't have many decades to stabilize the climate.

While there are serious public health risks posed by fracking, there are major issues for climate and the environment, too. Methane, the natural gas companies are drilling for, is a potent heat-trapping gas, up to 105 times more potent than carbon dioxide, when released into the atmosphere over a 20-year interval. Methane leaks at every stage of a fracking operation, from production and processing to transmission and distribution.