The arrival of shale gas on the north-american energy markets has profoundly perturbed the equilibrium between the various energy sources. In a few years, for example, the consumption of coal has fallen significantly while the demand for natural gas continues to grow thanks to a rich and relatively cheap local production.
These changes are not limited to North America. Shale gas are much more uniformly distributed around the globe than conventional gas and oil. Not surprisingly, therefore, a large number of countries, on all continents, are attempting to establish and exploit their resources.
Yet, despite the importance of shale gas production in the USA, which represents today around 40 % of the total gas production, very little information is available with respect to the local, regional, national and worldwide impacts of this production on environment. Such a lack of information does not reassure citizens, who, in most parts of the world, turn out to be much less receptive than their government with respect to this new energy source.
My work focuses on the effect of the exploitation of these non-conventional fossil fuels on the regional and worldwide energy market as well as on the response of the population towards an industrie for which little is known regarding its medium and long term impacts.
Over the last few years, I have been particularly interested in the Quebec’s and French cases, in comparison with the US developments.
Among my publications on the topic, I have written the first general public book on the question, with The shale gas revolution and I continue to follow this question closely.
A few publications on the topic
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N. Mousseau, in Resources, empire and Labour. Crises, lessons and alternatives., D. Leadbeater, Eds. (Fernwood Publishing, Black Point, NS, 2014), p. 112-123. -
N. Mousseau, in L’énergie à découvert, Mosseri, Rémy, Jeandel, Catherine, Eds. (CNRS Éditions, Paris, 2013), p. 345. -
N. Mousseau, Enjeux de l’exploitation du gaz et de l’huile de schiste (rapport) (Conseil scientifique région d’Île-de-France, 2012; http://normandmousseau.com/publications/144.pdf), 33 pp. -
N. Mousseau, La révolution des gaz de schiste (Éditions MultiMondes, 2010), 161 pp.
