Sunday 23 December 2012

Dernier mot de 2012........

For those who have asked, we are still here - and won't be going away! The 7 permit applications including the one for Cahors appear to have been set aside for the moment pending either an eventual change of government here or the discovery of alternatives to hydraulic fracking ( all of which of course, would still utilize derricks, water, massive logistics and visual desecration and represent the continued use of a fossil fuel contributing not one jot to the inevitability of a move to renewables  ). Rest assured that the overall problem has not gone away.

The Commission of Enquiry set up by the Sarkozy government following the introduction of the loi Jacob banning hydraulic fracking and charged with finding alternative methods and the reform of the Code Minier recently came up with the bright idea of handing the responsibility for authorizing fracking to the maires of individual communes. Democratic on the face of it and of course  premised on the idea that politicians ( even local ones!) are not open to internal and external bribes! Neat one.

Two days ago, we noted the goodwill trip to Algeria by President Hollande. Now we hear that French oil and gas concerns are to be awarded contracts to explore fracking possibilities  there. No doubt this will be the chemically dirty version ( hydraulic ) using and then spoiling obscene amounts of water and not any of the new 'wonder solutions' being put forward by 'les petroliers'.

Here's wishing you a Happy Schistemas and Frack-Free 2013!

From all at Schistehappens.