In an energy-starved world, debates about resource extraction often go global quickly.

The debate over hydraulic fracturing in the US has accelerated and intensified in recent week against the background of federal investigations into specific incidents at Chesapeake Energy operations and into the natural gas drilling industry more broadly.

A recent Huffington Post story described a group of South Africans that have come to the United States to see fracking at work. Doug Stern and Lukie Strydom, farmers from South Africa, are trying to decide if they want to start a battle against natural gas companies back home.

The South African government in April issued a moratorium on gas activities in the region until the potential impacts could be better understood.

“Given the intensity and scale of the issue and the fact that this has never been done before in our shores,” said the Minister of Mineral Resources, Susan Shabangu, “my department will conduct a comprehensive study which will assist us to formulate our approach, after which we will go back to Cabinet.”

The Huffington Post spent a day with Doug Stern and Lukie Strydom exploring the debate around the safety and environmental impacts of fracking for natural gas.

Read the full story here.