New information from Colombia’s National Hydrocarbon Agency reveals that the government has granted at least 43 hydraulic fracturing concessions to several multinational companies. The country’s oil and gas sector has been promoting the need to use hydraulic fracturing as conventional oil resources have dwindled. Exploratory drilling is already taking place in the Cundinamarca province, despite protests from local communities. Opponents of hydraulic fracturing have also organized at the national level, arguing that fracking violates the Colombian Constitution’s guarantees to the rights of life, water, and a healthy environment. Even the government does not uniformly support the approval of fracking activities: the Colombian Comptroller ordered the National Hydrocarbons Agency not to sign any contracts that allow for non-conventional oil exploitation, and the Ministry of Environment is set to release a study saying the country does not have appropriate legal measures in place to regulate non-conventional fossil fuel extraction. In addition to the environmental consequences, there are concerns that allowing this divisive practice may undermine the ongoing peace process. For the full story, see http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_analysis/2988844/ecologist_specia…
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