January 2014 fracking timeline
31/1/14 The Crown Prosecution Service reveals that 35 charges arising from the Balcombe anti-fracking protests have been dropped before reaching trial. More
Dramatic action needed to make media pay attention to climate change, campaigner tells court
13/2/14 A climate change campaigner locked himself to the top of a water tanker leaving Cuadrilla’s oil exploration site at Balcombe to persuade the media that the anti-fracking protests were not petering out. 66-year old Robert Basto, who has a PhD in physics, told Brighton Magistrates Court that […]
Chancellor flip-flops on shale gas issues at Lords hearing
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 […]
“Balcombe effect” continues as survey shows people turn against fracking
The latest research into public attitudes to fracking shows that support is continuing to fall, despite promises of money for communities where shale gas development goes ahead. This suggests that an apparent turn against fracking shown in a survey last year was not a blip. The research by […]
Fallon promises to step up the pace of shale gas exploration
The energy minister, Michael Fallon, said he would do anything he could to remove barriers to shale gas exploration and increase the pace of development. He was giving evidence to the House of Lords economic affairs committee which is carrying out an inquiry into the shale gas industry. […]
Can fracking be sustainable? The views of four speakers at last night’s Green Alliance debate
The Green Alliance, a environmental think-tank, asked this question at its annual debate in London last night. Below are selections from the speeches of the four participants. Caroline Lucas, Green Party MP for Brighton Pavilion “Exploitation of finite resources can never be sustainable.“ “The question of whether it […]
“Cameron wrong to raise hopes of fracking price cuts”
The Prime Minister is wrong to raise people’s hopes that fracking could lead to cheaper energy bills, Jim Watson, professor of energy policy at Sussex University, said this week. Professor Watson, who is also research director at the UK Energy Research Centre, told a public lecture on Wednesday […]
Mortgage uncertainty in fracking areas, despite government assurances
There’s continuing uncertainty about the future impact of unconventional oil and gas sites on house prices and mortgage lending. Last week, Henry Smith, MP for Crawley, raised the issue in parliament after Santander withdrew a mortgage offer to one of his constituents on a house six miles from […]
Energy prices, shale gas and a campaign of misinformation
When the energy company SSE put prices up last week by an average of 8.2%, it blamed, among other things, government-imposed green levies collected through gas and electricity bills. Three days later, the company told the FT that government green energy policies would put up bills by £26 […]
Everyone’s talking about fracking
At least 26 public meetings on fracking will be held in England between September 25th and October 25th 2013 September 25 Fracking in Kent? Meeting, Sheperdswell, Kent, addressed by CPRE Protect Kent September 26 Public meeting, Eccles, organised by Say No to Fracking on Barton Moss September 27 Fracking […]
DRILL OR DROP? 