Germany has one of the most robust green movements in the world, but economic pressures are tempting it to try something critics say will harm the Earth: shale gas drilling.
Motivated by a rapid-fire increase in natural gas production in the United States, German business leaders and some politicians say they need to act quickly to prevent the country's industrial core from departing for places where energy is just a fraction of the price. They worry that the country's ambitious environmental goals are far less meaningful if the economy withers in achieving them.
Legislation under discussion will for the first time formalize permits for shale gas production in Germany, which is estimated to have enough reserves to feed natural gas demand for 20 years. But the plans have set off a backlash from many citizens, who are far more concerned than most Americans about the technique called hydraulic fracturing, or fracking.