The shale gas revolution has taken its time to arrive in Europe.
But after years of watching the US plunge head-first into natural gas exploration and of reaping the rewards, Europe's politicians are now deciding whether to join in.
Most of the political focus has been on potential economic benefits and the environmental consequences of hydraulic fracturing or "fracking" used in unconventional oil and gas drilling.
In western Europe, France and Germany lead a group of count...
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