Monday 28 April 2014

Renewables beat fossil fuels consistently - 6 month review

Time that we pushed even harder?

The game is up for the 'dirty industry'? Unfortunately, they are so embedded in our political systems that movement is going to be slow - very slow.

Nonetheless, the good news continues to seep out: http://ecowatch.com/2014/04/28/renewables-beat-fossil-fuels/

Spread the word by circulating the link to this site. Thank you.

$3million award on behalf of Texan family suffering from multiple ailments.

There are those among our number (we meet them every day ) who seem to think that fracking is a 'safe' or 'clean' process and that it can be effected without damaging human health. Fortunately, a Dallas,Texas jury have declared otherwise on behalf of a single family plagued by 'multiple ailments'.

Read the report here: http://edition.cnn.com/2014/04/25/justice/texas-family-wins-fracking-lawsuit/index.html?iref=allsearch

Appalling when carried out in the middle of nowhere, but 15million Americans now live withing 1 mile of a frack site. Try translating that into mainland Europe where population density is up to 3.5x greater than in rural Pennsylvania for instance. Frightening?

Tuesday 22 April 2014

UK - Changes to trespass and property laws to ease fracking progress

The Cameron Government propose to incorporate proposals to change UK trespass laws in the Queen's Speech in order to facilitate widespread fracking. This from the 'Greenest Government Ever'.

Read the BBC report here: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-27110655

With thousands of wells proposed for the UK something surely has to be done to prevent those pesky private land and property owners from obstructing the progress of the coming energy revolution!

Europe - Envisage the scale of things.....................

In the USA, 15,000,000 Americans live within I mile of a frack site with all that means for human health and permanent damage to the environment.

Imagine.

The crass nature of the Oil and Gas Industry

Only slightly off topic. Watch here how the TransCanada Pipeline has caused (and continues to cause) environmental havoc: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZThuXogileE

Of course, rest assured that they behave according to an entirely different set of ethical guideleines when it comes to fracking. Yeh.

Friday 18 April 2014

UK MP Caroline Lucas talks sense on fossil fuels.

UK Green Party MP Caroline Lucas, newly acquitted following dodgy charge of obstruction during the Balcombe protests here talks a great deal of sense on fossil fuels and related matters: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/apr/18/fight-against-fracking-protests-fossil-fuels-government

Wednesday 16 April 2014

Monday 14 April 2014

Poland - Total pull out

French oil and gas giant Total has pulled out of it's fracking adventure in Poland ( like several similar concerns in recent months )..........................
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/afp/140414/frances-total-drops-shale-gas-exploration-poland

No reason was given. I think we know the answer. Never mind, they are off to frack the UK next.

France - Total propose propane as alternative to fracking.

But then we always said that they would didn't we. According to Total CEO Christophe Marjorie and 'Productive Recovery' Minister Arnaud Montebourg, new techniques proposed for 'clean' fracturing include those deploying a technique to stimulate propane: Heptafluoroprane. Already used as a propellant in pharmeceutical inhalers, this form of fluorinated propane would, provide a 'reliable and operational alternative' to hydraulic fracturing.

So, always assuming that anyone thinks this might be a good idea ( please do leave a comment if that includes you ), we still have the question of massive landscape and ecological disturbance, noise, intrusion in urban areas, logistics, flaring, ugly derricks, horrendous logistics and proven health issues.

More importantly, the gas should stay in the ground. It's extraction is related to short-term notions of 'transition', detracts from investment in renewables and is yet one more dirty fossil fuel with carbon emissions ( when all is factored in ) considerably worse than those for coal.

Read more here: ( in French ) :http://www.zepros.fr/energie/actualites/17246/Gaz-de-schiste-enfin-une-technologie-dextraction-propre-.html

Basque country - Fracking plans/licences

Probably not the best place to start drilling if you don't want to risk violent reprisals!

Read more here: http://www.ejolt.org/2012/10/don%E2%80%99t-frack-the-basque-country-conflicts-around-gas-extraction-by-fracking/

US - Shale Gas - Pessimistic forecasts

Increasingly pessimistic forecasts for future shale gas yields are now coming out of the US. Click the link to read more: http://blogs.mediapart.fr/blog/jean-paul-baquiast/100414/sombres-perspectives-pour-le-gaz-de-schiste-aux-etats-unis

Question is, who will clean up the mess in the final analysis. Probably not our friends in the Oil and Gas industry.

Saturday 12 April 2014

Earthquakes and the idiocy of fracking - US.

Ohio and serious evidence of fracking links to earthquakes: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/11/ohio-earthquakes-fracking_n_5136110.html

The idiocy continues in California where fracking continues apace right next to the San Andreas fault. Click the link and be amazed: http://www.kcet.org/news/rewire/commentary/the-well-next-door/california-fracking-earthquakes.html

Now imagine all that in the tiny land mass referred to as the UK for instance where literally thousands of wells are planned often in close proximity to private dwellings.

Monday 7 April 2014

UK - Balcombe protestors - Not guilty

Anti-fracking protestors acquitted after judge declares that they may not have known about temporary conditions imposed by police.

http://investigatingbalcombeandcuadrilla.com/2014/04/07/anti-fracking-campaigners-acquitted-after-judge-rules-they-may-not-have-known-about-police-protest-condition/

We are very pleased here at Schiste Towers and send our best wishes to all concerned.

US/EU - Corporate stitch up - implications?

You may or may not be aware of the current negotiations between the US and EU for a wide-ranging Trade Agreement/Accord. Much data is available via a simple search on Google for instance.

Read one perspective here: http://www.globalresearch.ca/us-eu-free-trade-agreement-a-corporate-stitch-up-by-any-other-name/5339789


There is not the slightest doubt that when this goes ahead the floodgates will be open for a wide range of activities previously banned over here. GM/OGM crops and fracking to name but two. When US corporate lawyers become involved who knows what will happen? Even national governments may find their rulings on for instance fracking over turned and referred to private tribunals.

This is real. This is happening.