Thursday 30 October 2014

UK - Obnoxious gas fumes on N.Yorks moors. Just the beginning?

Of course, the gas companies deny it, but maybe this is just a hint of what it will be like when Cameron's mad das for gas kicks in all over the UK.......................

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/sep/19/yorkshire-wolds-gas-fracking-shale

Eastern Ohio - 400 families evacuated as well head blows out.

Now, imagine that happening in little old UK.........................

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2014/10/29/well_explosion.html

UK - BBC and fracking - hmmm....

Independent enquiry ( yet another?!!) to be led by former Labour minister Chris Smith. Why an enquiry at all when mountains of evidence already exist in the USA and elsewhere. Given that the Cameron administration have granted licences to frack already and changed the trespass laws to enable fracking under homes + allow the deposition of toxic waste and allow any chemical to be used, this can only be a phoney PR excercise designed to calm the masses. Won't work.

Watch the nonsense here: https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=700719820017661&set=vb.559946007428377&type=2&theater

Tuesday 28 October 2014

London - Fracking under homes and schools a strong likelyhood............

Now that Dave Cameron has 'liberated' the fracking fraternity by undemocratically changing the UK trespass laws the following scenario is more than likley...............

https://www.facebook.com/britainandirelandfrackfree/photos/a.450730781619619.127432.412063865486311/992071897485502/?type=1&theater

Impressed by this idiocy? Don't keep it to yourself, mail the link to as many friends and family as possible. It matters.

Monday 27 October 2014

UK Democracy - contradiction in terms under the current government?

The government just declared war on the British people over fracking. It's going to allow companies to frack under our homes without our permission -- despite 99 percent of responses to a public consultation saying an emphatic NO.

Tell the government to ditch plans to frack under our homes without our permission.

http://action.sumofus.org/a/forced-fracking/?sub=mtl

Thursday 23 October 2014

Scientists Just Discovered How To Determine If Water Contamination Comes From Fracking

 A team of U.S. and French scientists say they have developed a new tool that can specifically tell when environmental contamination comes from waste produced by hydraulic fracturing, better known as fracking. In peer-reviewed research published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology on Monday, the researchers say their new forensic tool can distinguish fracking wastewater pollution from other contamination that results from other industrial processes — such as conventional oil and gas drilling. Fracking is a controversial oil and gas well stimulation technique that uses a great deal of water, mixed with chemicals, to extract oil and gas from miles deep underground. Once the rock is fractured by the high pressure fluid, fossil fuels follow the fracking fluid to the surface. The disposal of this often-radioactive water mixture, known as “fracking fluid,” is widely considered to be one of the biggest environmental threats that fracking poses, along with the emissions of greenhouse gases like methane and carbon dioxide. There have been many claims of water contamination since the technique gained popularity in 2008, but it’s been difficult to determine if fracking was really the cause — mainly because fracking companies are not required to disclose what chemicals they use in the process (the mixture is often considered a trade secret). With the new tool, though, scientists no longer need to know the chemical make-up of the fracking fluid to determine whether it’s getting into the environment, Duke University geochemist Avner Vengosh told ThinkProgress on Monday. “This is one of the first times we’ve been able to demonstrate that, here, you have a spill in the environment, and yes, this is from fracking fluid and not from other source of contamination,” Vengosh said. “It’s a pretty cool way to overcome the issue of trade secrets.” In order to do this, Vengosh and a team of researchers from Dartmouth College, Stanford University, and the French Geological Survey among others created a tool that they say can trace the “isotopic and geochemical fingerprints” of the fracking process. In simpler terms, the tracer picks up what the researchers say is a unique, chemical fingerprint left behind by the fracking fluid injection process. The tracers track two elements — boron and lithium — which occur naturally in shale formations. When fracking fluid is injected underground, those two elements are naturally released along with oil, and the fracking fluid then becomes enriched with the elements. When the fluid comes back to the surface, Vengosh said they have an isotopic fingerprint that is different than any other type of wastewater, including wastewater from conventional oil and gas operations. “Many of the fracking operations today are happening in areas that have a legacy of 20, 30 years of conventional oil and gas development,” Vengosh said. “So when there’s contamination, [fracking companies] can say ‘Oh, it’s not us — it’s the legacy of 30 years of operations here.” “We now have the tools to say, well, sometimes you’re right and sometimes you’re wrong,” he added. As fracking has boomed across the United States, so has the use of water to do it. A 2013 report from Environment America showed that fracking wells nationwide produced an estimated 280 billion gallons of wastewater in 2012 — a huge number considering more than 55 percent of fracked wells are in areas experiencing droughts. Vangosh was also part of a research team that found there are more risks of drinking water contamination from fracking wastewater than was previously believed. In a peer-reviewed paper released last month, he and other scientists from Duke and Stanford found that even when fracking wastewater goes through water treatment plants, and is disposed of in rivers that are not drinking water systems, the treated water still risks contaminating human drinking water. That’s because there are generally drinking water systems downstream of those rivers, and treatment plants aren’t doing a good job of removing contaminants called halides, which have the potential to harm human health.

Source: http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/10/21/3581800/duke-fracking-waste-tracker/

Sunday 19 October 2014

Nova Scotia to ban fracking.

Nova Scotia(n) political leaders refer to their 'having respect for those who place their trust in us'.

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/09/04/3478734/nova-scotia-fracking-ban/

Bit like Cameron & Co eh?! Ed.

STOP CAMERON'S NEW FRACKING LAW - Sign the petition and circulate widely.

Stop Cameron's new fracking law!

Tuesday 14 October 2014

UK Govt to allow any substance to be buried beneath homes.

The following article demonstrates just how far we have come in recent years in terms of definitions of democracy. The Cameron Govt seem to think that they can ride roughshod over everyone’s rights in almost every area of life. Hopefully, this one will come back to bite them in the bum electorally in the not too distant future. Ed.

UK Government to allow fracking companies to use 'any substance' under homes 

Proposed amendment in Infrastructure Bill would make mockery of world class shale gas regulation claims, campaigners say Damian Carrington Tuesday 14 October 2014 The Guardian http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/oct/14/uk-to-allow-fracking-companies-to-use-any-substance-under-homes ---- The UK government plans to allow fracking companies to put “any substance” under people’s homes and property and leave it there, as part of the Infrastructure Bill which will be debated by the House of Lords on Tuesday. The legal change makes a “mockery” of ministers’ claims that the UK has the best shale gas regulation in the world, according to green campaigners, who said it is so loosely worded it could also enable the burial of nuclear waste. The government said the changes were “vital to kickstarting shale” gas exploration. Changes to trespass law to remove the ability of landowners to block fracking below their property are being pushed through by the government as part of the Infrastructure Bill. It now includes an amendment by Baroness Kramer, the Liberal Democrat minister guiding the bill through the Lords, that permits the “passing any substance through, or putting any substance into, deep-level land” and gives “the right to leave deep-level land in a different condition from [that before] including by leaving any infrastructure or substance in the land”. The trespass law change has attracted controversy before, when the government decided to push ahead despite the opposition of 99% of the respondents to its consultation. Author and activist Naomi Klein said it flouted basic democratic rights. Ministers were also accused of rushing legal changes through parliament at the start of 2014, which removed the need to notify each home in an areas of fracking plans. The new amendment permitting “any substance” was attacked by Simon Clydesdale, a campaigner at Greenpeace UK: “Ministers are effectively trying to absolve fracking firms from responsibility for whatever mess they’ll end up leaving underground. This amendment makes a mockery of the government’s repeated claims about Britain’s world-class fracking regulations. Far from toughening up rules, ministers are bending over backwards to put the interests of shale drillers before the safety of our environment and our climate.” Tony Bosworth, at Friends of the Earth, said the amendment would allow companies to dispose of fracking fluid, often contaminated with toxic metals and radioactive elements. “The government appears to be trying to sneak through an amendment which would allow fracking firms to reinject their waste under people’s homes and businesses. Reinjection has caused countless problems in the US and you have to question how far this government will go to make fracking a reality.” A spokeswoman for the Department of Energy and Climate Change (Decc) said: “Shale and geothermal have the potential to bolster our energy security, create jobs and growth and provide a bridge to a greener future. These changes are vital to kick starting shale and make sure it’s not delayed by one single landowner. These new rules are all part of our robust regulatory framework [making] sure public safety is always our number one priority.” “Operators must demonstrate that where any chemicals are left in the waste frack fluid this will not lead to pollution of groundwater. The Environment Agency will not permit the use of chemicals where these are hazardous to groundwater,” she said, adding that the amendment did not change the need for companies to obtain all the necessary planning and environmental permits. On the prospect of the new amendment being used to bury nuclear waste, the Decc spokeswoman said the amendment gave the right to put substances into deep-level land only in the context of exploiting gas and petroleum. But Ralph Smyth, a barrister at the Campaign to Protect Rural England, said the amendment was very loosely worded and risked unintended consequences. “This seems another example in the Infrastructure Bill where the rushing to remove obstacles has led to officials making it up as they go along, without thinking through the consequences,” he said. “Powers to alter deep-level land in any way under people’s houses or ‘putting any substance’ under schools or homes is surely going too far.” He noted that the Infrastructure Bill stresses the maximum economic recovery of gas and oil and that storing waste underground as part of drilling operations would increase the economic viability of fracking. Ken Cronin, the chief executive of fracking trade body UK Onshore Oil & Gas, said: “The onshore oil and gas industry is committed to baseline monitoring before, during and after any shale activity to ensure the highest safety and environmental standards. We need to study all of the additional amendments to the Infrastructure Bill in detail but any amendments that do not support high environmental and safety standards will not be supported by the onshore oil and gas industry.” If you have any questions about this email, please contact the guardian.co.uk user help desk: userhelp@guardian.co.uk. guardian.co.uk Copyright (c) Guardian News and Media Limited. 2014 Registered in England and Wales No. 908396 Registered office: PO Box 68164, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1P 2AP

Monday 13 October 2014

62% of French citizens opposed to fracking - 32% 'mostly' opposed.

Recent survey by pollsters BVA for the journal 20 Minutes found that 62% of French citizens are hostile to shale gas operations, 31% somewhat opposed and as many again are strongly opposed. BVA Institute says that the topic unites the Left ( 80% of left-wing voters are against the exploitation of shale gas ), but divides the right ( 51% of right-wing voters are in favour ). Sociologically, women ( 67% ), 18-34 year olds ( 66% ) and upper socio-professional categories ( 70%) are the most hostile to the exploitation of shale gas. The conclusion is therefore that Sarkozy ( who promises a complete U turn in the matter should he be elected President ) "defends a largely unpopular idea".

On Sunday, Ecology Minister Segolene Royal re-iterated her promise that there would be no exploration or exploitation of shale gas during her tenure.

Read the report here in French: http://www.francetvinfo.fr/monde/environnement/gaz-de-schiste/une-large-majorite-de-francais-opposee-au-gaz-de-schiste_708677.html

Looks like Sarko could be advocating something which as the article suggests could even unite right and left. Ed.

Saturday 11 October 2014

Goldman Sachs question long term profitability of shale gaz ( oil prices prefer ).

Goldman Sachs have raised doubts about the medium and long-term viability of shale gas prices as seen against the likelyhood of oil prices shifting................

http://www.cnbc.com/id/102078127?__source=yahoo|finance|headline|headline|story&par=yahoo&doc=102078127#

Industry leaks 3 billion gallons of contaminated frack water into Californian aquafers.

It's not as though legislators, regulators did not already know about this potentiality......

http://rt.com/usa/194620-california-aquifers-fracking-contamination/

Never mind, they have it taped in the UK. 'Best regulatory practices in the world'. Sleep tight. Ed.

Thursday 9 October 2014

UK - Glimmer of hope.................

No, Cameron and Co have not seen the error of their fracking ways (yet) but Glasgow University has become the latest institution to announce that it will divest 100% from fossil fuels.......................

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/oct/08/glasgow-becomes-first-university-in-europe-to-divest-from-fossil-fuels

Tuesday 7 October 2014

Dutch Government to extend fracking ban until at least 2016

We have just heard that the Dutch Government have voted to extend their fracking moratorium until at least 2016. Excellent news. More on this as we have it.

Also, here is a current list of the state of fracking - bans and authorisations around the world. Certainly not all plain sailing for 'les petroliers' in spite of massive lobbying and graft.

Read more at: http://keeptapwatersafe.org/global-bans-on-fracking/

Site recommendation - Frack news worldwide

We bring to your attention the pages of the excellent Ecowatch site to be found here at:

http://ecowatch.com/news/energy-news/fracking-2/

Saturday 4 October 2014

UK: Nick Clegg backs fracking in East Midlands.

UK Deputy Prime Minister lends his support to the notion of fracking in the English East Midlands region. Mr Clegg refers to the 'new technology'. Funny that Nick, since most industry pundits tell us that they have been fracking for years and years ( without of course mentioning that only recently has horizontal fracking been possible ) hence the problems associated with earthquakes and democratic issues relating to the annulation of UK trespass laws.

Read more here: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-29475435