Reporting of the politics at national and local level of the shale gas and fracking debate
24th February 2014 Balcombe Parish Council today received the results of the latest poll on residents’ attitudes to drilling for oil and gas in the village and potential fracking. The poll, which asked three questions, was conducted by Electoral Reform Services and sent to every Balcombe resident on […]
21st February 2014 The green movement’s opposition to shale gas on climate change grounds came under attack on Wednesday (February 19th) from both the Government and the hydrocarbon industry. The Chancellor, George Osborne, and Francis Egan, the chief executive of Cuadrilla, both argued that shale gas would help […]
21st February 2014 Transcripts of last week’s parliamentary questions on: On-the-ground inspections of drilling rigs by the Environment Agency and Health and Safety Executive Cost to the country of tax breaks for shale gas companies Cost of policing anti fracking protests Financial and economic benefits of fracking Liabilities […]
18/2/14 The South Downs National Park Authority is to tell the government that no more oil or gas licences should be sold in protected landscapes. The comment will be part of the authority’s response to a government consultation on the next round of Petroleum Development and Exploration Licences […]
18/2/14 Frack Free Balcombe Residents’ Association has responded to an interview (reported here last week) by Shale World with the village’s parish council chair Alison Stevenson. The full response is posted below from FFBRA’s latest newsletter. Community benefit FFBRA challenged Alison’s Stevenson’s suggestion that Balcombe could receive £80,000 from […]
10/2/14 Transcripts of last week’s parliamentary questions on: Health and Safety Executive and Environment Agency inspections at Balcombe and other sites Monitoring methane emissions Costs of regulations Production and development licences Common liabilities fund Disposal of fluid into the Manchester Ship Canal With thanks to theyworkforyou.com 6/2/14 Question […]
10/2/14 The American energy entrepreneur, Chris Wright, told the House of Lords last month (14/1/14) that Britain would need only 35 shale gas drilling rigs and 700 wells a year. Giving evidence to the Economic Affairs Committee investigation into shale gas, he said his figure was based on the […]
4/2/14 The economic affairs committee of the House of Lords could be forgiven for being more confused after hearing from the Chancellor, George Osborne, this afternoon (4/2/14) than they were before he arrived. The committee has been investigating the likely impact of a shale gas industry on the […]
4/2/14 David Cameron’s message “We going all out for shale” doesn’t appear to have support in all parts of his government. The business secretary, Vince Cable, told today’s Guardian “Shale gas is a long-term possibility – no more than that.” He said the real future for oil and […]
3/2/14 Greenpeace reported today that a group of Sussex residents have formed the first legal blockade to stop a drilling site. The charity says solicitors acting on behalf of the residents have written to the Energy Secretary, Ed Davey, and the exploration company, Celtique Energie, to say they […]
DRILL OR DROP? 