11/2/14 Cuadrilla’s drilling supervisor at its site at Balcombe told Brighton Magistrates Court this afternoon that delays caused by last summer’s protests cost the oil exploration company £2,500 an hour. James Whitham was giving evidence on the first day of the trial of five environmental campaigners, including Natalie […]
10/2/14 Alison Stevenson, chair Balcombe Parish Council, is attending the 2014 Shale Gas World conference in Manchester in May. The website http://www.shale-world.com/ asked her about Balcombe’s experience, public attitudes to drilling and how well the operating companies had engaged with people. The interview was published last week but […]
7/2/14 Less than a third of people support fracking for shale gas, according to the latest survey of public attitudes commissioned by the Department for Energy and Climate Change. Just 27 per cent of the 2,110 people surveyed said they supported “extracting shale gas to generate the UK’s […]
10/2/14 The onshore oil and gas industry appears to be shying away from public debate, despite making promises to engage with local communities. Member companies of the UK Onshore Operators Group (UKOOG) have signed up to a Community Engagement Charter, which pledges “openness and transparency in everything we […]
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 […]
An anti-fracking campaigner heard today (30/1/14) that his human right to freedom of speech through protesting did not give him a right to wilfully obstruct the police. Keyon Bayandor, 25, from Bristol, denied obstructing PC Michael Butler at the Balcombe protests on August 1st last year. But he […]
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 […]
Legal changes to help frackingThe Daily Telegraph reports that ministers are looking at changes to the trespass laws to make it easier for energy companies to explore for shale gas. The paper says that under plans being considered by the government fracking would be allowed to take place […]
The Environment Secretary, Owen Paterson, said this afternoon (28/1/14) he wanted to see fracking wells across the UK countryside. He said fears about fracking had been exaggerated and environmental concerns were groundless. Mr Paterson was giving evidence to the investigation into shale gas by the House of Lords […]
DRILL OR DROP? 