France - Sailor gives her support to fracking

Maude Fontenoy has clearly been selected as a popular mouthpiece to appeal to the French public. She has decided that she likes fracking and thinks it would be good for France: http://www.connexionfrance.com/Environmentalist-sailor-Maud-Fontenoy-fracking-15413-view-article.html

US - Land of the free? Gagging orders.

The all powerful US Oil and Gas industry frequently resorts to gagging orders to deal with those who seek to reveal the truth behind the fracking lines. Here is the latest apalling example: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/jan/29/vera-scroggins-fracking-activist-pennsylvania

What fracking means on the ground.

Here we provide a link to up to 500 videos taken in Pennsylvania showing the level of devastation caused by the abomination known as fracking: http://www.youtube.com/user/veraduerga

UK - Public opposition to fracking increases

UK- Public support for fracking falls for a second time in spite of PM 'Call Me Dave' http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/jan/28/fracking-protest-david-cameron-public-support-poll ( Cameron ) talking it up and offering bribes to local councils ( ten of which have already declared themselves totally opposed ).

Not going at all well Dave. Perhaps revert to being the 'Greenest Government Ever' after all eh?!

UK - Cuadrilla withdraws applications to frack in Lancashire

Cuadrilla has withdrawn applications to frack in Lancashire following links to radio-active waste. Read the report in The Independent here: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/caudrilla-withdraws-applications-to-frack-in-lancashire-after-encountering-problems-with-radioactive-waste-disposal-9088986.html

Not going terribly well lads is it!

Petition link - Tell D.Cameron the UK is not for Fracking

Link to petition by Greenpeace - over 91,000 have signed already: https://secure.greenpeace.org.uk/page/s/frack-free-uk?source=em&subsource=frackpetem140127&utm_source=gpeace&utm_medium=em&utm_campaign=fracking&utm_content=1+-+gtgtTell+Cameron+the+UK+is+not+for+frack

France - Take note - The push ( to frack ) is on.......

Industry Minister Arnaud Montebourg, no doubt newly encouraged by the stupidity of EU ministers is making renewed efforts to convince President Hollande that France should proceed with fracking : http://www.connexionfrance.com/french-industry-minister-arnaud-montebourg-backs-shale-gas-15400-view-article.html

UK - Energy Minister accuses environmentalists of ideological motives!

Is he kidding! What is driving the pro-fracking lobby other than limited scientific background, a desire to 'quick fix' the paper thin UK economic 'boom' and a desire to boost share price as quickly as possible and then abandon ship having caused widespread devastation.

Read more ( if you can stomach it ) here: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/jan/27/greens-embrace-fracking-minister-greg-barker

Total CEO says they will be 'careful'

Christophe Marjorie the CEO of oil and gas giant declares ( that in the vent of them proceeding to frack in France ) they will be..............'careful'. We are so pleased.

Read the report in The Connexion here: http://www.connexionfrance.com/french-industry-minister-arnaud-montebourg-backs-shale-gas-15400-view-article.html

UK- Salford response to fracking operations

Hundreds of people are braving the apalling weather and documented police violence to make their voices heard at the Barton Moss fracking site near Manchester.  Needless to say, they are not by any means all 'activists' or 'eco-terrorists' or 'men with dogs on a bit of string' but concerned and above all informed citizens who rightly oppose this government-backed abomination.

Read more here: http://www.salfordstar.com/article.asp?id=2121#

Soon it will become apparent to many who so far have shown little interest, that this practice is going to change their lives irrevocably. Time to be counted. 

EU Gives in to Oil and Gas Lobby

Last Wednesday The European Commission effectively gave the green light to shale gas exploration when it refused to introduce binding legal standards for the exploration and exploitation of shale gas. It is now clear that the lobbyists have succeeded and Brussels has ignored the legitimate concerns of environmentalists and concrete evidence of the widespread damage caused in particular from the American 'experiment'.

No amount of legislation would in any case cater for the extensive landscape desecration, and horrendous logistics nor the simple fact that the exploitation of yet one more dirty fossil fuel for profit is an obscenity.

France can surely look forward to fracking if and when a change of government is effected. We can only guess at the likely reaction. France is not the UK.

Read more ( in French - use Google Translator perhaps ) : http://www.europe1.fr/International/Gaz-de-schiste-le-feu-vert-de-Bruxelles-1779143/ and how the jolly CEO of Total Christophe Marjorie sees things now: http://www.lejdc.fr/france-monde/actualites/economie-politique/eco-finances/2014/01/26/gaz-de-schiste-le-pdg-de-total-salue-les-positions-de-bruxelles-et-montebourg_1849304.html

Thank you Brussels.

US - NYC - Mayor declares himself against fracking.

 Does this man perhaps know something that the Cameron Government do not. Looks intelligent.

UK - Sign petition to David Cameron

David Cameron has promised that his would be the 'Greenest government -ever'.

Yet he has come out in clear support of fracking, a new way of extracting yet one more dirty fossil fuel.

The government is ignoring communities in it's dash for cash and ignoring the fact that fracking will:-

a. scar the British countryside and risk contaminating water supplies
b. stop the UK from achieving agreed climate change targets
c. be highly unlikely to bring down domestic fuel bills, even after many years
d. divert scarce investment away from clean, renewable energy.

If this concerns you at all, sign the petition to the Prime Minister here: http://www.foe.co.uk/get_involved/fracking_petition_41121.html and then please pass this link ( or just pass on: www.schistehappens.blogspot.com ) to as many contacts as possible. Thank you.

PS If you require ready-made arguments when facing local politicians and those who are blind to the dangers and futility of the entire exercise why not go to our home page at: www.schistehappens.com
and click the link to our printable document: 'A Dozen Devastating Denials of Fracking in the UK'.

PPS If you would like to find out if fracking is likely to occur under your own property, simply click the following link and enter your Postcode like thousands before you: http://www.wrongmove.org/

NB. In accordance with out declared policy we will get back to reporting fracking matters here in France just as soon as there is something essential to report. Ed.

Texan town pleads for fracking to stop ( earthquake damage and more ).

Bearing in mind that the majority of European shale gas 'resources' are circa 2.5 deeper on average than those in the US, it goes without saying that effective extraction will require vastly increased activity. Think of that when watching this: s/2014/01/24/rachel-maddow-earthquake-rattled-texas-town-begs-state-to-shut-down-fracking-wells/

And then ask yourself if you can really trust the weasel words relating to 'adequate regulatory systems' emanating from the likes of Call Me Dave and his cronies.

UK - Far more to fracking than earthquakes or flaming taps....

Quite clear by now that many have reduced notions of wholesale fracking to clichéd images of earth tremors, flaming taps and 'men with dogs on a a bit of string' even though they have never found the 15mins required to watch even GASLAND P1. However, for the Tory Party it could prove to be one big catastrophe and senior party advisors and grandées are concerned for the overall effect it might have on the medium and long term prospects for the Party.

The Miner's Strike effectively eradicated all Tory MPs for S.Wales, and huge swaithes of the North, Midlands and N.East, one reason why they have been unable to form a working majority since 1992.

Ministers with '££££ signs where their eyeballs should be' seem hell bent on finishing the job in short order.

Read more here: http://metro.co.uk/2013/08/28/shale-gas-frackings-real-dangers-are-far-worse-than-just-earthquakes-3939398/

UK - Cuadrilla only doing 'ordinary' drilling at Balcombe. Yeh.

Cuadrilla are to abandon plans to frack in Balcombe and only continue with 'ordinary' drilling - apparently. Read more here: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/jan/23/fracking-balcombe-site-cuadrilla We understand that they are also to pull out of their Blackpool location.

Not going terribly well it would seem.

UK - At last - what to do with all that contaminated fracking water!

As UK police chiefs seek approval for water cannon in light of 'likely trouble' arising from increasing austerity measures we can see a perfect outlet for all the dirty/chemically contaminated water emanating from fracking! Read more here: http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/jan/22/police-home-secretary-approve-use-water-cannon-austerity-protest

What a sorry state ( or should that be - State )! Ed.

Balcombe policing costs - total = £4million

We think this is an even better reason why the whole UK shale gas/fracking fiasco is going to end in tears: http://www.wscountytimes.co.uk/news/local/breaking-news-revealed-4million-police-costs-of-balcombe-fracking-demos-1-5822921

If the UK middle class have been sitting on their thumbs up to this point ( 'nothing in my S.Times on it' etc, and blaming it all on so called activists and 'trouble-makers' and 'men with dogs on bits of string') internal conflict at a multiplicity of levels is going to be the deciding factor.This is not wishful thinking on our part. Early cracks are beginning to appear and before hardly a well has been fracked.

Police Commissioners are now seeking redress/compensation from the Home Office for the Balcombe debacle. Many more will follow. So if you think protest doesn't work this might be something to take into account.The National Trust has internal division on the issue ( fence-sitting has long been their problem - remember stag hunting on Exmoor? ) and will soon have to clarify policy.
Local Authorities are only now beginning to realise the potential for damage to infrastructure due to the horrendous logistics involved and comparing this to the paltry sums offered by Cameron & Co to communities.  
Road congestion as hundreds and hundreds of trucks move earth and water in rural and urban areas, plant movements, traffic associated with personnel movement and more in a country with some of the most congested roads on the planet will lead to conflicts at a number of levels. The juxtaposition of fracking sites ( with the concomitant flaring of gas, airborne methane and ugly derricks ) in close proximity to housing and the gradual realization that major insurers are already excluding damage caused by any fracking related activity (earth tremors, vehicular damage and more) will rapidly lead to a drop in house values.

Nonetheless, on BBC's World News 'Hard Talk'programme last night Minister Ed Davey was adamant that the government's fracking plans would go ahead. OK.

Why shale gas won't conquer Britain.

Or the situation as seen by the New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/15/opinion/why-shale-gas-wont-conquer-britain.html?_r=0

UK - 'Some Green extremists close to Trotskyites' John Gummer

John Gummer ( now styled Lord Deben ) has declared that he considers that many Green 'activists' are close to being Trotskyites. Well John, we do consider that the majority of fracking enthusiasts are quite close to being.............. Conservatives!!!

Read here exactly how he presents his loony notion: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/jan/20/fracking-lord-deben-climate-change

Remember ( if wondering about the accuracy or otherwise of this pearl of wisdom) that this is the man who also thought it a good idea to feed a beefburger to his 4 year old daughter at the height of the UK's Mad Cow Disease :http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/369625.stm

Note the continuing trend in Grand Bretagne to label the thinking opposition to anything of a money-grabbing, anti-environmental and generally irresponsible nature as 'activist', 'Green', 'Eco-Terrorist' and now.....'Trotskyist'. Of course, they know full well that many in the UK ( too many ) seldom think beyond their soundbite jibes and take on board everything they say. Depressing.

Poland - End of the euphoria as fracking firms pull out.

Quite clear now that the nonsense talked about the REALISABLE shale gas resource in Poland was total nonsense. The cost of extraction depends upon three factors: 1. The geology of the land 2. The existing infrastructure( and population density which in mainland Europe is in the order of 3.5x that of the US ) and facilities available to frackers in the host country and 3. Regulatory, environmental constraints. In Poland the bulk of shale gas lies at a depth of almost four kilometres - often beneath overhanging rock formations making drilling difficult ( in the UK the bulk of the resource is to be found at a depth 2.5x greater than in Pennsylvania ). So, even though the country has adopted a mining code favourable to the extraction these other factors would appear to have defeated overall profitability.

Exxon, Marathon and Talisman have now all pulled out ( leaving not inconsiderable devastion in their wake ) not to mention a host of smaller 'front-end' prospecting companies.

UK fracking enthusiasts would do well to take all this on board. Of course, for many, including those in government the only objective is to attract the gullible and greedy and bang the share price up. After that, who gives a damn.

Article here for reference ( in French ) : http://www.sciencesetavenir.fr/nature-environnement/20140117.OBS2831/gaz-de-schiste-la-fin-de-l-euphorie-polonaise.html

Drought emergency as California residents call a halt to fracking.

Read more here:http://paper.li/Fracking2013/1358305559

Fracking will transform Britain. Yes it will.

But not in a way that most folks seem to think: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/jan/17/shale-gas-transform-uk

FRANCE - not a done deal - by any means

Many may have wondered why we have reported so infrequently on fracking issues here in France of late. The simple fact is that whilst our brief remains to inform English-speaking communities residing in France, the situation remains more or less stable - for the moment.

President Hollande would appear to be holding to his 'no fracking on my watch' declaration, but massive lobbying on behalf of  'les petroliers' continues here and in Brussels. Recent proposals for changes to the Napoleonic loi minier ( mining law ) side-stepped the issue of fracking due to its not currently being an 'allowed activity' as a direct result of the introduction of the loi Jacob ( July 2011 ) banning hydraulic fracturing.

The Academy of Sciences has pushed for 'exploration' but in the main their is widespread antipathy to the very notion of digging up and polluting the countryside and France in the meantime has plans to expand it's total coastline available for oil and gas exploration by 000,000 of Km especially by incorporating that of the various Protectorates. Total have been able to assuage their frustration by gaining contracts to frack up large swaithes of the UK and no doubt outcomes in Grande-Bretagne will be monitored closely over here. In the meantime, several of the key Collectifs who were in the forefront of the successful campaign to ban fracking here ahve re-stated their opposition and re-grouped.

It is important that we remain vigilant and just as prepared to protest as we were in 2011. As one of our team so aptly stated many moons ago - 'It ain't over - 'til it's over'. Ed.

UK - Whitehall snouts in there too..............

Oh dear, now that does come as a surprise!

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/jan/17/emails-uk-shale-gas-fracking-opposition

UK-Snouts in troughs

From the Mirror but it does seem to have the ring of veracity..................

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/fracking-david-cameron-aide-lynton-3030267#.UtmzbgvS-Ok.email

Now sign the petition to the EU objecting to proposed changes ( referred to in our last post ).

Here is an urgent petition link to the EU ( in French, but v.simple to scan and perfectly safe ) seeking the reversion of current proposals which would ease/pave the way for fracking as a part of a broader approach to carbon emissions and renewables.

Sign the petition here: http://www.gazdeschiste-nonmerci.fr/ Please do not delay, the timing in these matters is key.

EU paves the way for fracking?

Concerned as we are for the millions of unsuspecting souls in the UK who have not the slightest notion of that which is shortly to be unleashed on their environment by Cameron, Osborne & Co we must take the wider view and (in keeping with our official Mission Statement here at Schistehappens) concern ourselves with the possibilities 'en France'.

In this spirit, we now refer you to an 'easing' of EU targets for carbon emissions and a consequent paving of the way for the fracking fraternity.

Read more (click the link): http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/european-commission-move-away-from-climate-protection-goals-a-943664.html

UK - Tory revolt - or just pitching for bigger bribes?

Senior Conservative Councillors in George Osborne's Tatton constituency and nearby Chester are clearly rejecting fracking - except for more cash: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/energy/fracking/10574951/Blow-for-George-Osborne-as-Tory-council-chiefs-oppose-fracking-in-Chancellors-constituency.html?fb

By no means a done deal then. All those soccer type people and their WAGs (?) must have been bending ears!

UK - David Cameron says we are irrational!

David Cameron tells Commons Select Committee that fracking opponents are being 'irrational'. That can only mean one of two things. Either he has not the first clue of that which he is about to unleash
( our favoured option ) or he does not really think we are all being irrational and only cares about the effect on his investment portfolio and that of his fellow politicans.

Read just how he protesteth too much here: http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/jan/14/fracking-opponents-irrational-says-david-cameron

Oil and Gas industry concerned about activism/protests - Good.

Wikileaks has revealed just how concerned the oil and gas industry is about growing activism and environmental protest around the world. Nice to know it is having an effect. We should feel hurt otherwise!

Read how the company Strategic Forecasting has quantified and jargonized the picture as they see it by clicking this link: http://www.newrepublic.com/article/115832/wikileaks-oil-companies-strategies-anti-keystone-activists

Every little helps.

UK - Govt to 'reward' local Councils open to fracking

No doubt about it we have to award full marks to the government led by 'Call Me Dave' and his pals. First they starve local authorities to breaking point and now promise to reward them - big time if they run with fracking applications in their area. Brings a whole new meaning to concepts of creative accounting does it not.

Councils will be sorely tempted, but then find that constituents will seldom trust them again and then ( long after the current bunch of mediocrity have disappeared over the horizon ) find that they have massive infrastructure repair bills to fund ( remember, up to 500 truck movements just to remove earth for a single frack site )) not least for road repairs. Neat.

Click the link to find out more: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/jan/13/fracking-shale-gas-incentives-councils

UK - Petition to D.Cameron

Probably too late at this eleventh hour when licences are being issued to major fracking outfits
( including French giant Total ) and 'Call Me Dave' and Co., are handing out bribes to local councils but Friends of the Earth now invite you to sign the following petition in a last ditch attempt to influence policy - click the link: http://www.foe.co.uk/get_involved/fracking_petition_41121.html#.UtRWgq_kQlc.email

French oil and gas giant to frack the UK

Hot off the BBC ( ie it must be true ), the UK Government is to bring in French oil and gas giant ( fifth biggest in the world ) Total to frack up the UK countryside. No doubt EDF will be ready and able to perform the distribution required once the gas is released/harvested. Click the link below to read the full report......................

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-25695813

Energy Minister Michael Fallon suggests that fracking has a 'low health risk' attached to it and even suggests that any 'failures' in the US have been due to a 'poor operational and regulatory system'. Is he kidding! That may be partially true but in fact, the full picture will never be known due to continuing US Govt cover-ups including of successive reports from their so-called Environmental Protection (sic ) Agency. We have reported on these on more than one occasion in these pages.

Worth noting that when the laughingly titled UK Climate Change and Energy Committee first pronounced on earthquakes for instance, there had already been over 3,000 mini-quakes in fracking Areas in Arkansas and at a time when panel members had visited the US on numerous 'fact-finding' junkets and yet appeared to be totally unconcerned. Additionally, when the H&S Executive first met contractors to discuss procedures at the Blackpool site they actually held five meetings and yet never once met on site. Then, when UK contractors had a total failure of one of their wells with the cement casing totally failing thus releasing contaminated water underground and after tipping redundant plant into the 'hole', not a great deals seems to have happened. They then did not 'self-report' the incident to the relevant authorities for a period of six months. Couple this with savage local authority cuts under the current regime and we feel that you will be able to make your own assessment of the likely rigour - or otherwise. 

Nonetheless, Fallon says that it is 'low risk' - see here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-24761980

Licences are being issued as we write, so if you or friends have the slightest concerns about whether or not your/their home might be illegally fracked under ( a challenge is still possible - at least theoretically ) go to: http://www.wrongmove.org/ and enter a valid UK postcode to confirm or otherwise. Over 23,000 people have done so already.  



PS Incredibly, there are still those out there who have not even seen P1 of GASLAND ( here in full on You Tube ): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phCibwj396I  and now P2 is with us confirming just haw devastating fracking has been for millions ( 52 million US citizens now live within 3 miles of a frack site ) of Americans http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_uNx2fXlfE.

Perhaps even more incredibly, we meet daily those who claim that it 'could never happen here' . It is happening and soon will be everywhere unless we stop it.

NBC News report - Oil and gas drilling pollutes well water. Definitif.

We are not the least bit surprised , but if this is the first you have heard of it, do click the following(perfectly safe ) link to learn more.............................
http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2014/01/05/22190011-oil-and-gas-drilling-pollutes-well-water-states-confirm

Now we don't want any of that round here do we. Ed.

UK - Govt fracking advocates could be in for a big surprise in 2014

See why here: http://www.leftfutures.org/2014/01/george-fracking-osborne-may-be-in-for-a-big-shock-in-2014/

UK - Minister waxes lyrical.................

UK Energy Minister Ed Davey outlines nifty scheme for energy distribution across mainland Europe that would offset the economic/employment/exports challenge from a USA that now has drastically reduced energy costs. Read the article here: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/exclusive-a-giant-european-network-of-electricity-interconnectors-is-solution-to-high-energy-prices-says-climate-change-minister-9033129.html

Hang on tho' Ed' - that requires the UK to be IN Europe!!!!