Not 'all over' - by any means!

Since we last blogged on 4th October, we note the following................

a. Total are to challenge the three permits for the Cévennes region abrogated by President Sarkozy citing the loi Jacob recently. Wonder what they know that we do not?!!

b. Shares in 3 Legs Resources AKA Lane Energy have plummeted from circa 150p at flotation to circa 57p this week. You will know that they have a permit application 'en cours' for the 5,750 km sq surrounding Cahors and that their current main area of activity is Poland.

c. Last Friday the new Prefét of the Lot gave a 'presentation' in favour of the projected prison at Sauzet. Empathetic was not a word we would use to describe the overall approach and given that it is he who would otherwise sign permits for this region, we are not over encouraged. At least one local senator who had previously declared himself 'contre' G de S presented in a similar manner.

d. An International Day of Protest is planned for 'mid-january' and we will announce the date if/when advised by French/Canadian organisers.

e. Some variance with earlier statements on the part of the Party Socialiste in relation to policy in matters G de S and an early U turn in relation to all things nuclear from would be President Hollande. No surprises there.

f. In the UK, in spite of causal links being proven between fracking near Blackpool and the earlier mini-earthquakes ( Tim Yeo called them 'virtually non-existent' in our correspondence citing 5 pages of seismic minutae and at the same time virtually dismissing reports of around 1,000 instances in Arkansas ) operations to frack up to 800 wells utilizing - you've guessed it..........good old Hydraulic Fracking and this with large chunks of Chinese backing. No Environmental Assessment and little local consultation we hear.  Mostly ' up North' at this stage but coming to The Mendips, Weald and South Glamorgan quite soon now.

g. New and effective site at http://frack-off.org.uk - well worth a look ( Google it if the link does not work )  if only to read accounts of some of the despicable under cover activities engaged in by a well known firm of lobbyists based in Mayfair.

We continue to keep eyes and ears open and daily seek to offset statements like ' That's all sorted now isn't it?' and 'It'll never happen here'. The simple fact is that in the current and indeed ongoing financial climate France may well not be able to ignore the fact that it is sitting on top of one of the biggest potential shale gas deposits on the European mainland.

Watch this space.


Merry Christmas to all our readers.

[Merry Schistmas surely? Ed.]