A brief word about the current state of play relating to fracking in France. First of all, the threat has not gone away. Far from it. The much maligned President Hollande is the only thing currently standing between the environment and a rush to exploration ( allowed within the terms of the present law ). He has promised that there 'would be no hydraulic fracturing on his watch' and in the main this has held true.
Note that Nicolas Sarkozy, Alain Juppe and the lady leading the FN are all in favour of exploration if not outright fracking. Jobs and the economy seem to be the main argument alongside energy independence or at least shale gas seen as a component of 'energy independence' in a mix with nuclear and some level of renewables input. None of the three candidates seem to be aware of the degree to which the previous threat of fracking in sensitive areas over here penetrated the French psyche. Were they aware, they surely would not be promoting it as a USP in their political agendas. None of the three seem to be aware either of the extent to which as many as half of firms involved in fracking in the US have gone to the wall in recent months nor the extent to which profitable and viable extraction ( let alone envrionmental and health issues ) have an even greater bearing in populated European settings.
The Collectives stay alert and active. Many sites such as our own remain on orange alert. The députe (Ardeche ) who fought for the loi Jacob banning fracking in 2011, Pascal Terrasse assures us that he remains alert. We trust that you also remain as concerned for your homes, your health and the environment as you were in 2011.
In 2017 it could be right back to square one. Thank you. Ed.
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