DEFINITION: A drilling technique which sees liquid pumped deep underground at high pressure to fracture rock and release oil or gas. Opponents claim that the process can contaminate water, cause earthquakes and exacerbate noise and traffic pollution.
See also: Shale gas
The Welsh Government has committed to phase out the continued extraction and use of fossil fuels, including those obtained by fracking, as it strives to reduce national carbon emissions by 80% by 2050, against a 2011 baseline.
Highly radioactive nuclear waste could be permanently buried under national parks and areas of outstanding natural beauty (AONBs), under government plans backed by a committee of MPs.
The government's rejection of plans for a new open cast coal mine faces a High Court challenge amidst accusations by the project's backers that the move will push up energy prices by increasing the UK's reliance on risky overseas supplies of the fuel.
