We are again facing the threat of fracking here in the South East. The West Sussex village of Balcombe is the centre of energy company Cuadrilla’s attempt to start an exploratory drill for oil which will result in hydraulic fracturing (fracking) techniques for extraction.
Protestors had succeeded in stopping Cuadrilla setting up its equipment on Thursday but on Friday police moved in and removed them to allow a generator on to the site.
Some weeks ago there was a sell out showing of the film ‘Drill, Baby, Drill’ at the Empire Cinema in Sandwich. This film is about the fight by villages in Poland to stop Chevron Oil and Gas Company from fracking for shale gas. The villagers won this battle and this can only encourage protesters in this country.
Our ‘greenest government ever’ has announced tax incentives for companies to frack for shale gas, incentives that could mean that renewable energy industries lose out because of cuts in subsidies.
Shale gas is not a ‘green’ option. Shale gas produces the same amount of carbon dioxide as North Sea gas when burnt in power stations, far too much if we are to keep our emission levels down to give our planet a chance to halt climate change.
The threat to our water courses from the release of toxic chemicals, the storage of used chemicals, the release of methane gas into the atmosphere, the extensive use of water for the process – just a few of the reasons to stop fracking in Kent.
Victoria Nicholls. Transition Deal.
In my opinion shale gas is way "greener" than e.g. coal. Analysis shows that emissions of CO2 to the atmosphere are lower when using energy from shale gas. Also It's more profitable for chemical companies. Extraction of shale gas means independence from foreign suppliers and that means cheaper resource for chemical production. Here is more about it.
ReplyDelete