We keep hearing how the burgeoning explosion of hydraulic fracturing (aka "fracking") for natural gas is fueling the demise of coal and oil for energy production. While natural gas may, as a cleaner-burning fuel, have a lower carbon footprint than other petroleum-based energy products, there are also significant downsides, including increasing the availability of raw materials for plastics products.
NPR elaborates: The U.S. Natural Gas Boom Is Fueling A Global Plastics Boom