Sides cast doubt on studies used in fracking debate

ALBANY — A core issue of the contentious gas-drilling debate is centered on a single question: Can science be bought?
In several cases, those on both sides of the argument over hydraulic fracturing have moved quickly to downplay or discredit studies based on the source of their funding.
And when it comes to three studies in particular, the gas industry points fingers at the Park Foundation, an Ithaca-based philanthropic group that has backed anti-hydrofracking advocacy efforts.
The Park Foundation has helped fund a pair of Cornell University studies — one casting doubt on the climate benefits of shale-gas drilling, the other focused on the economics of the industry.