"LONDON -- A committee of British lawmakers demanded a national moratorium on fracking due to environmental concerns on Monday, ahead of a crucial vote intended to boost the shale gas industry.

An inquiry by the cross-party Environmental Audit Committee, which examines the effect of government policy on the environment, found the extraction and burning of more fossil fuels was contrary to Britain's pledge to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

It warned that fracking -- in which water, chemicals and sand are pumped at high pressure underground to extract gas -- posed uncertain risks to public health, air quality, and water supplies."

AFP had the story January 25, 2014. [2]