UK expert says: "You cannot consider fracking in a water-stressed area"

Sir David King has been in South Africa this week. King is UK special representative on climate change.

He believes South Africa can benefit from strongly falling solar photovoltaic (PV) prices. The country has land which is underutilised -- and much sunshine. He is also in favour of nuclear energy.

Interestingly, he is less enthusiastic about hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking". (For overseas visitors, controversial plans are in the pipeline to do fracking in South Africa's dry Karoo area). Find the report here.

Meanwhile, officials from Ohio, Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas in the US have met to discuss fracking-induced earthquakes, and to see what can be done.

Shale gas is one of the sources of energy on which you will find notes in the Energy chapter of The Agri Handbook. Solar and other renewable energy sources are looked at in a dedicated Renewable energy chapter.