Coal seam gas. It’s cleaner, safer and less expensive however it’s also causing problems. The QLD/NSW border roughly straddles an area known as the Great Artesian Basin. This geographic formation is characterised by the subterranean water it holds. The same area arguably comprises some of the richest agricultural land in Australia and a series of interconnecting waterways which when it rains feeds this vast landscape. You may have watched SixtyMinutes recently- unlike me as there is no commercial TV reception where I live; however I’ve just heard some similar points first hand from a resident near Tara in QLD. The drilling for coal seam gas has upset the underground water table in the region. Gas bubbles have leaked into the water so that in some homes in the area if you turn on a tap in your kitchen and held a match to it you would literally be ‘cooking with gas’. The drilling has also collasped underground acquifiers so that residents who rely on bore water (common term for undergrd water) have found their supplies either cut off or contaminated. There are further issues but at the risk of soap boxing… While we don’t actually have the geographic conditions that could lead to the formation of sink holes it is a major concern. The world is looking for a new source of energy. One that is cheaper, more efficient and that doesn’t lead to nasty ‘spills’. But at what cost? And does it matter if only a few people are affected by problems? As someone said to me yesterday, ‘It’s for the greater good’. I don’t agree with that comment. I try and imagine what may be happening in the bowels of mother earth and it makes me shudder.