Det pågår en relativt intensiv kampanj på sina håll för att utvinna och nyttja skiffergas. EU-parlamentet har låtit göra en studie (som är mycket instruktiv och lärorik) som kommer till slutsatsen att skiffergas är en ovanligt dålig idé. Konklusionen talar bäst för sig själv:

Conclusions
At a time when sustainability is key to future operations it can be questioned whether the injection of toxic chemicals in the underground should be allowed, or whether it should be banned as such a practice would restrict or exclude any later use of the contaminated layer (e.g. for geothermal purposes) and as long-term effects are not investigated. In an active shale gas extraction area, about 0.1-0.5 litres of chemicals are injected per square metre.

This holds even more as the potential shale gas plays are too small to have a substantial impact on the European gas supply situation.

The present privileges of oil and gas exploration and extraction should be reassessed in view of the fact that the environmental risks and burdens are not compensated for by a corresponding potential benefit as the specific gas production is very low.