Reasons to be cheerful??

Here in France, we cautiously welcome the appointment by President Hollande of Nicole Bricq (65ans) as Environment Minister. Mme Bricq has been consistently supportive of groups campaigning against the abomination that is shale gas exploitation. Fingers crossed. A politician nonetheless, so the pressure must remain.

In the UK, we note a piece dated Sunday, 20th May 2012 in The Independent ( strangely, not reported elsewhere ) by political editor Matt Chorley entitled Government Backtracks on fracking..........www.independent.co.uk/environment/green-living/government-backtracks-on-fracking-7768853.html# 
Not as much gas as they thought it would seem. Or is it that they have finally realised that extraction in over-populated European locations ( 3x that of eg Pennsylvania ) is simply not quite so profitable as hoped for. Or maybe that, combined with likely levels of opposition across the land fracking activity might be politically unwelcome at this point and in the period leading up to a general election when the downside of fracking might just be becoming apparent to all. So far, only Messrs Cuadrilla would appear to have shown any real interest and they will forever be known as the guys who caused the Blackpool earthquakes. Our view here at Schiste Towers is that it is probably a carefully leaked piece of PR aimed at calming the masses ( and senior pro-fracking members of the government ) much in the way that last year's law banning hydraulic fracking did here in France, whilst allowing extensive exploration to continue. This week's reprieve over there for ageing Nuclear Reactors may also have upset the energy mix debate too. Who knows. Either way, good to know that the ride is getting just a bit bumpy.

Two other snippets from the USA this week......

The first relates to the difficulty now being experienced by those holding/seeking mortgages in areas subjected to fracking: http://www.resourceinsights.blogspot.fr/2012/05/how-fracking-messis-about-to-make.html   

The second is a link to a lengthy, but crucially important video ( perhaps as important as Gaslands 
itself ) by eminent researcher Dr Thea Colborn dealing the chemicals now known to be deployed in fracking and their side effects and the implications for human health. http://www.endocrinedisruption.org/chemicals.video.php. 

Finally, whilst we welcome and acknowledge all genuinely positive developments we nonetheless exhort everyone to remember the Schistehappens motto: 'It ain't over 'till it's over'!