the frack thread

[JohnB]

Final question in this interview with former oil man:

Do you think the anti-fracking movement and other environmental movements are the main hope now?

LA: I think the main question is how fast can these movements educate enough people about the dangers of fracking and its impact on global warming. It will take masses of people demanding action from politicians to offset the huge amount of money that the industry is using to influence lawmakers, a world-scale version of those standing-room-only town meetings. Something has to wake up the general public. It will either be education from the environmental movements or some kind of climate disaster that no one can ignore.

http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/1760 ... ate-change

[biffvernon]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/po ... 26869.html

Fracking controls 'removed in dash for unconventional energy resources'
Councils no longer able to investigate issues such as seismic activity, venting and potential impact on ground water supplies

I suppose the next announcement will be that councils are no longer able to investigate the height of a wind turbine or whether a nuclear power station might explode.

The New Localism.

While in the House

It is also pretty appalling that the new planning guidelines are set to come into force without public consultation, denying communities that stand to be affected by fracking any say in the new process. It is clear that Ministers and the fracking firms, which are, sadly, increasingly indistinguishable, are keen to press on rapidly, but it is wrong to refuse to consult on new planning guidance aimed at making it easier for developers to cast aside community concerns.

Even from a perspective of due procedure, I cannot see how the decision to deny communities a say in their new planning rules is remotely in line with the Government’s own definition of circumstances in which consultation is unnecessary.

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/p ... htm_spnew0

[woodburner]

The government could be playing a high risk game here. It is not long to a general election, and though the alternative parties aren't any more attractive as a potential government, the current one could find themselves out of office.

What a couple of dictator cabinet ministers can do.

[biffvernon]

This is the way


Lots more pictures at
http://frack-off.org.uk/latest-news-fro ... -gas-gala/

[emordnilap]

I hope protesters are confronting their own energy usage and making effort to reduce it.

I mean, are most of them 'average' energy users? Meaning their lifestyle and their anti-fracking stance are antithetical?

[biffvernon]

It's quite difficult to change one's energy use when the society one lives in is geared to a certain energy use. If we successfully campaign against fracking and all the other forms of carbon burning, forcing the whole of society to use less energy, then idividual would find it easier to adjust.

I'm quite reluctant to criticize environmental campaigners because they do not live quietly in caves.

[emordnilap]

I know, I know. It's frustrating that past choices press present and future systems upon us; the pace of change can be so slow.

I'm not criticising anti-frackers for what they're doing; fair play to them for getting out of their caves.

However, I've heard people - even at protests and meetings - say things along the lines of, 'they should do something about (climate change/pollution/whatever)' or 'you would think they would have come up with alternatives by now' whilst running three cars and oil-fired central heating (or, again, whatever).

It is possible to reduce one's energy usage - down to the limit the present system allows - but few are willing to take personal responsibility.

[biffvernon]

Meanwhile at Balcombe there have been several heavy-handed arrests of peaceful demonstrators.







Edit - that last pic gained the comment:
"and I bet not one of the people in this picture have ever held down a job or contributed NI or VAT to our economy! Typical."

[biffvernon]

Arrests allegedly under Trade Union and Labour Relations Act 1992 – Sec. 241. Apparently the frackers were being “beset and intimidated” by the community!


http://frack-off.org.uk/latest-news-fro ... ala-day-2/

[biffvernon]

Channel 4 News

http://www.channel4.com/news/west-susse ... protesters

and the Guardian:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2 ... ted-sussex

[emordnilap]

So, Cuadrilla is the latest in a long line of corporate taxpayer-funded welfare recipients. Scroungers! Go and get proper jobs!

[biffvernon]

Last week Egdon Resources was granted planning permission to drill for oil in Leicstershire. See http://www.egdon-resources.com/article/ ... _(PEDL201) There's no mention of fracking; they say they intend to exploit conventional oil in a fairly shallow well. But this area in the Widmerpool Trough is underlain be about 2500m of shale source rock that is judged by the British Geological Survey to be likely to contain gas. It's part of the same Bowland-Hodder Formation in which fracking is proposed in Lancashire. Last week's planning decision should be regarded as a first step, a trojan horse, to fracking in Leicestershire.

[BritDownUnder]

I see there is a 'Lock the Gate' sign/slogan there just like there is in Australia for the Coal Seam Gas exploration.

[biffvernon]

For the geologically inclined here's a good description of what's underneath Balcombe:

http://www.southampton.ac.uk/~imw/Petro ... -Weald.htm

[woodburner]

David Cameron was addressing workers at Crown Paints in Darwen when he was asked a question about fracking.

Mr Cameron said: “We are looking at trying to have a very simple system where every time a well is dug, immediately £1m goes to the local community.

“And not just to the local council but actually to local people, so people can see a cash benefit in their local village, in their local town and even, potentially, in their local pocket as well.”

Downing Street later confirmed that some confusion had arisen and that communities would get £100,000 up front but could potentially receive millions over time.

more.........

Any old figure will do, they are all probably fiction. Even when the money gets to the "community" it will be to pay for the policing needed to keep protesters under the thumb.

Mr Cameron said a study of 11 counties alone had found about 1,300 trillion cubic feet of shale gas "lying underneath Britain at the moment".

"To put that in context, even if we just extract a tenth of that figure, that's still the equivalent of 51 years' gas supply," he said.

more......

Excellent, they have "found" all this gas, they "found" lots in the US too but it seemed to disappear when the drill bits when chasing it. [/url]