Energy debate in the House

[biffvernon]

A lot going on this morning in the House of Commons:
http://www.parliament.uk/business/publi ... unknown/9/

[woodburner]

Shale Gas
10.

Mr Peter Lilley (Hitchin and Harpenden) (Con):
What steps he is taking to encourage shale gas exploration in the UK.[164488]

13.

Christopher Pincher (Tamworth) (Con):
What steps he is taking to encourage shale gas exploration in the UK.[164491]

16.

Dr Phillip Lee (Bracknell) (Con):
What steps he is taking to encourage shale gas exploration in the UK.[164495]

The Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Michael Fallon):
Further to my earlier answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Pendle (Andrew Stephenson), the Government have commissioned the British Geological Survey to carry out a study of possible shale gas resources in the Weald basin in the south-east of England. This will be published in the early part of next year. We are also carrying out a strategic environmental assessment with a view to launching a further onshore licensing round for oil and gas in 2014.

Mr Lilley:
Given that 2 million fracking wells have been drilled in the United States without harm to life or property, will my right hon. Friend act vigorously to thwart the vexatious use of environmental laws by Friends of the Earth and others to keep shale gas in the ground? In particular, will he introduce early legislation to clarify UK red-line planning laws and to restrict them to surface installations? Will he also tell us what he plans to do to prevent the mining waste directive and the groundwater directives from being used expansively to delay and prevent the exploitation of shale gas in this country?

I suggest Mr Lilley needs to go for retraining. (Is he being schmoozed by the fracking lobby?). Where is the consideration for the climate change commitment?

[biffvernon]

I suggest Mr Lilley needs to prosecuted for the crime of ecocide.

[woodburner]

Will he also tell us what he plans to do to prevent the mining waste directive and the groundwater directives from being used expansively to delay and prevent the exploitation of shale gas in this country?

Do what you like, given this statement he's obviously not concerned for ANYBODY including himself. Can we import some fracked ground water from Marcellus and have him drink it on TV?

[RenewableCandy]

Apparently some of it has DU in it so he should positively glow with health afterwards...

[JavaScriptDonkey]

Just to add reality to this, some ground water was already contaminated before fracking. Since fracking more ground water has become contaminated but seemingly 'only' from some leaking wells.

Ian Stewart's Horizon piece is very balanced.

[biffvernon]

very balanced.

There is nothing but unbalance. Adding greenhouse gasses to the atmosphere unbalances the planet's heat budget and can only be re-balanced at a higher temperature.

Not rocket science, just the physics that was understood in the 19th century.