Brussels warns UK about jumping 'headlong' into shale gas
The European parliament has warned it will regulate the shale gas industry as it claims the UK doesn’t know what it is doing with its ‘dash for gas’.
Jo Leinen MEP, a member of the parliament’s environment committee, believes the UK isn’t fully aware of the scale of environmental and health consequences that can occur from large-scale ‘fracking’, the controversial method of blasting rocks with pressurised water, sand and chemicals to force gases from them. Leinen said ‘In Great Britain they give the green light for industrial exploitation but they have to know what they are doing. I don't know if they can be so sure and clear about what they are doing”.
The Coalition sees shale gas as a great opportunity, but may be ignoring the environmental implications of it
(Image source - The Guardian)
Recent reports on fracking from the European commission warn of the high risk of ground- and surface-water contamination, noxious air emissions, risks to biodiversity and noise pollution. However, just last week the chancellor George Osbourne announced that fracking firms would be offered tax breaks to set up in the UK, whilst energy secretary, Ed Davey, is expected to lift restrictions on a fracking site in Blackpool shortly, after it was closed when it was suggested the process may be triggered earthquakes.
Another criticism of the process is that, according to research, between 2500 and 3500 horizontal wells and 113 million tonnes of water would be needed to produce just 10% of the UK’s gas consumption over the next 20 years, with prompted Christophe McGlade, from the UCL Energy Institute who worked on a report for the European commission on the level of shale in the EU, to say, "Just because the resource is there, it does not mean that it can be produced economically."
Energy secretary Ed Davey has now lifted the restrictions on fracking in the UK, allowing energy company Cuadrilla to resume its operations at the site in Blackpool. Despite protests from anti-fracking campaigners, who believe that this practice of collecting shale gas could be damaging to climate change targets and could potentially contaminate aquifers, Davey sees shale gas as a promising new energy source. Davey stated he has taken all factors into account, saying, "My decision is based on the evidence. It comes after detailed study of the latest scientific research available and advice from leading experts in the field",
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