Future of gas industry and fracking

Future of gas, wind, solar, oil etc in Europe. Expect rapid growth of gas, wind and solar power, with prices falling for solar and wind so that no subsidies are needed beyond 2020-2022, in order to compete with gas and other sources. European Union expects half of all EU electricity to be powered by wind by 2050. That will require new national and international smart grids, power storage capacity, and many innovations. Gas power is a natural partner to wind and solar, allowing rapid balancing of power as wind and light vary. We can also use wind and solar power to generate hydrogen, convert to methane, and add to gas reserves. Future of fracking and risks from fracking, earthquakes, tremors. Expect power companies to phase out coal-fired power stations. Carbon sequestration and carbon storage - separation of carbon dioxide. Burning gas in pure oxygen to reduce costs of carbon capture. Innovation in energy saving and energy conservation. Global warming science - how reliable is evidence for climate change? Sustainagility book and sustainability issues. Comment by Futurist conference keynote speaker Patrick Dixon at the Flame ICBI summit in Amsterdam 2012.