A STRUGGLING farming community in Pennsylvania faces a dilemma. Should it allow an energy company to set up a fracking plant that could revive the community's fortunes but destroy its way of life?
That's the premise of the recent movie Promised Land . The critics mostly yawned, but buried in the credits is an interesting detail: the movie was part-funded by Abu Dhabi Media.
No doubt the company felt Promised Land would provide a good return on investment. But the film's anti-fracking message also happens to play well with the interests of its owner, the government of Abu Dhabi. Like other hydrocarbon exporters, Abu Dhabi sees the US's drive to exploit domestic gas as a threat.
Multinational oil and gas companies have been known to take a similar line. Russian firm Gazprom is quick to talk up the environmental risks of fracking despite using similar techniques in its own fields. According to some analysts, Gazprom's real concern is that customers such as Germany, Bulgaria and Romania will follow the US's lead and start developing their own gas reserves.
Japan is taking a different path to the promised land of energy independence. It has embarked on a programme to extract gas from its massive reserves of methane hydrates – "fire ice" – locked in permafrost and at the bottom of the ocean (see "Frozen fuel: The giant methane bonanza"). If it is successful it could spark a global energy rush.
For countries like Japan, which is dependent on imported energy, domestic gas production has many attractions. It would reduce exposure to unpredictable foreign regimes, and make the market easier to control and regulate. It could also be cheaper and perhaps even cleaner.
But the big boys won't be outcompeted any time soon. Deep pockets mean they can withstand setbacks that might cripple smaller rivals and keep the energy flowing when times get tough.
As long as the world clings to an economic system based on hydrocarbons, expect the struggle between local and multinational production to continue. In the meantime, you may start to hear media messages about the dangers of fire-ice extraction. Be sure to check who is behind them.
This article appeared in print under the headline "Fire ice, the new fracking"
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