The EPA has revealed it finds no evidence that hydraulic fracturing has led to widespread pollution of drinking water. “The oil industry and its backers welcome the long-awaited study while environmental groups criticize it.

“We found the hydraulic fracturing activities in the United States are carried out in a way that has not led to widespread systemic impacts on drinking water resources,” says Tom Burke, Science Advisor and Deputy Assistant Administrator of EPA’s Office of Research and Development. The EPA’s draft assessment was conducted at the request of Congress.

“It is the most complete compilation of scientific data to date,” says Burke, “including over 950 sources of information, published papers, numerous technical reports, information from stakeholders and peer-reviewed EPA scientific reports.” [NPR]

Lower prices will feed a pick-up in global natural gas demand over the next five years following, the IEA stated Thursday in its 2015 Medium-Term Gas Market Report. “The annual report, which gives a detailed analysis and five-year projections of natural gas demand, supply and trade developments, sees global demand rising by 2% per year by the end of the forecast period, compared with 2.3% projected in last years outlook.

A significant reason for the downward revision is weaker gas demand in Asia, where persistently high gas prices until very recently caused consumers to switch to other options.” [IEA]

New research is suggesting scientists have been inaccurate in their data analysis of a climate change hiatus.”When adjustments are made to compensate for recently discovered problems in the way global temperatures were measured, the slowdown largely disappears, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration declared in a scientific paper published Thursday.

And when the particularly warm temperatures of 2013 and 2014 are averaged in, the slowdown goes away entirely, the agency said.” [The NY Times]