But when it comes to reducing pollution-causing emissions, electric vehicles have a lot of competition from cars powered by natural gas.

CNN: Natural gas vehicles on a roll in U.S.

The EPA last year issued the first-ever standards to control smog- and soot-forming gases from gas wells site, and updated existing rules to reduce cancer-causing pollution, such as benzene, from other equipment.

NPR: Report: Flaws In EPA Drilling Pollution Data

Opponents warn that fracking is an environmental disaster waiting to happen, citing, among other risks, air and water pollution, the release of radiation and cancer-causing substances, and the acceleration of global climate change as methane and other greenhouse gases escape during fracking.

FORBES: Fracking: A Role for Universities

The engineering wizards who have fueled the Information Revolution through the use of satellites as communications and information-gathering tools also overlooked the pollution they were causing.

FORBES: Beware Of Space Junk

Or, worse than that, if the losses are accelerating because of us - by tearing up habitats or causing pollution or simply slaughtering every member of a species?

BBC: Why such a fuss about extinction?

Cause noise pollution: People living close to turbines claim that the low level noise is causing stress-related illness.

BBC: Last Updated: Tuesday June 07 2005 15:38 GMT

"We have to act quickly to remove them all for fear of causing water pollution, " Xu Rong, an environmental official, told state-run Global Times newspaper.

BBC: China fishes over 2,000 dead pigs from Shanghai river