Just Frack Off!

The UK's Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy confirms that England's ban on 'fracking' will be lifted. 'Fracking' (Hydraulic Fracturing) involves forcing chemical solutions into shale rocks to 'liberate' contained methane gas from its pores (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/sep/22/government-confirms-it-is-lifting-ban-on-fracking-in-england). The Secretary of State made several claims to support the decision. Firstly, that opposition to 'fracking' was "hysterical". This is an interesting choice of word, implying that women don't understand the 'manly' concept of 'fracking'. Secondly, he claimed that the public didn't understand the Richter Scale for seismic activity, as any generated earthquakes would be small. Thirdly, he maintained that opponents of 'fracking' were in the pay of Russia's President Putin. He was convinced that drilling companies could easily come up with deals to enthuse local residents for the process (although they couldn't have a vote on it). The Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy appears to have, at best, a very rudimentary understanding of geology, technology and energy pricing. Not even the Founder of Cuadrilla Resources as well as his former Public Affairs Director, are now convinced the UK is a good place to carry out 'fracking'. Cuadrilla, an oil and gas exploration company, did much of the initial trial drilling in Lancashire and elsewhere in England (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/sep/21/liz-truss-fracking-britain-economic-political-low-carbon-cuadrilla). These two argue that, in the UK, the economic and political barriers to 'fracking' make the process non-viable. This contrasts with the US, Canada, Australia and Argentina, where the shale deposits are bigger, more uniform and easier to access. Both are predictably enthusiastic about the UK importing Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) from North America. They also downplay 'fracking'-related seismic and water contamination events. Irrespectively, burning LNG will add to 'greenhouse gas' emissions. Methane is also, in its own right, a very potent 'greenhouse gas'. Fracking can inadvertently release some this gas into the atmosphere. In fairness, the Cuadrilla associates point out the UK has 'greener' possibilities of reducing its dependence on methane. Heat stored in saline (salty water) deposits could be used to 'power' production of food in greenhouses. They also note that the UK's impressive tidal range, means that building lagoons with turbines, would be an effective and reliable producer of electricity.