A Brew Too Far: German Beer Makers Warn Fracking Could Destroy National Drink

Sure, the environment's important. And yes, sustainability and health are significant considerations. But none of them have seriously eroded support for fracking, the high pressure process by which gas is released from shale in the ground.

The reason for the relative lack of concern is that a majority of people consider the environment an issue that touches them somewhat indirectly, especially the impact of fracking, despite reports of water supply pollution and attendant medical safety questions that have been raised by researchers. Lower energy prices, on the other hand, affect many people economically on a daily basis so fracking's ability to hold those costs down tend to win out.

Those worried about the long term effects of fracking who have searched desperately for an issue to give their cause immediacy may finally have found one: German brewers have formally complained to Chancellor Angela Merkel that fracking could destroy that country's national drink, beer.

Given the sacred role that beer plays in other nations like England, Ireland and many regions of the US, this could become a compelling argument for the anti-fracking forces and might, forgive the pun, fracture the coalition that supports fracking. The argument is that the pressurized injection of chemicals into the ground water could spoil the use of that water in the brewing of beer. This is an especially tricky question in certain parts of the US where oil and beer are considered co-evolutionary partners. We dont see either wine or electricity providing an acceptable solution to the aggrieved parties. JL

Andrew Trotman reports in The Telegraph:

German brewers have warned Chancellor Angela Merkel that any law allowing the controversial drilling technique known as fracking could damage the country's cherished beer industry.

The Brauer-Bund beer association is worried that fracking for shale gas, which involves pumping water and chemicals at high pressure into the ground, could pollute water used for brewing and break a 500-year-old industry rule on water purity.

Germany, home to Munich's annual Oktoberfest - the world's biggest folk festival which attracts around 7m visitors - has a proud tradition of brewing and beer drinking.

Under the "Reinheitsgebot", or German purity law, brewers have to produce beer using only malt, hops, yeast and water.

"The water has to be pure and more than half Germany's brewers have their own wells which are situated outside areas that could be protected under the government's current planned legislation on fracking," said a Brauer-Bund spokesman.

"You cannot be sure that the water won't be polluted by chemicals so we have urged the government to carry out more research before it goes ahead with a fracking law," he added.

Germany is Europe's biggest producer of beer and has the third-largest per-capita consumption after the Czech Republic and Austria.

It is home to more than 1,300 breweries, which produce about 5,000 different beers, according to the Brauer-Bund.
With pressure mounting from German industry to at least look into the option of tapping its shale gas reserves, Merkel's centre-right coalition is working on a law setting out the conditions for exploration that would protect certain areas.
Given resistance from opposition parties which could block the law in the upper house of parliament, it is unlikely that a law on fracking will be passed before an election in September.