Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is helping the United States surpass Russia as the world's biggest producer of oil and gas and its importance can't be understated, says Wall Street Journal reporter Gregory Zuckerman, author of the new book, "The Frackers: The Outrageous Inside Story of the New Billionaire Wildcatters."

"Fracking is the biggest boom since the housing bubble and even maybe the tech boom," he tells Yahoo.

"It's affecting all kinds of cities and industries. It's changing geopolitics," giving the United States more freedom in its Mideast policy from Saudi Arabia, for example.

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While fracking may not be able to make the United States energy dependent, it can make us "energy secure," Zuckerman contends.

He acknowledges there are safety issues surrounding fracking, but says it can be good for the environment, as it enables industry to shift from coal.

To be sure, "it's only good if we're not emitting too much methane along with the natural gas," Zuckerman adds. "When done properly, it's really a benefit. But often they make mistakes."

He supports organizations such as the Environmental Defense Fund that seek to cut down on those mistakes.

Meanwhile, Republican senators at a hearing Tuesday cited a report stating that fracking emissions are 10 percent lower than the Environmental Protection Agency estimates, according to Forbes contributor David Ferris.

The University of Texas at Austin conducted the study, which was funded by the Environmental Defense Fund and nine natural-gas companies.

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