UK - Rise and rise of the fossil fuel dinosaurs

The extraction of yet another fossil fuel ( no matter how the O & G industry seeks to style it 'clean' or 'natural' gas ) is delaying the inevitable move to renewable sources necessary to offset the worst effects of climate change. Read more here: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/feb/26/achim-steiner-shale-gas-rush-climate-change-energy

US - Terrible news from Denton County ( Texas )

Exonmobil boss opposes fracking facility close to his home: http://www.wfaa.com/news/local/Exxon-Mobil-CEO-opposes-fracking-operation-near-his-denton-county-estate-246709221.html

UK - Why we need to get off our collective bums..................

'The greatest enemy of democracy is apathy'. Who said it? We did.

You may not have liked the music of Ray Davies or Chrissie Hynde ( we did - lots ) but they sure have one helluva brave daughter who talks a lot of sense : http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/feb/26/natalie-hynde-ban-fracking-uk-protest-balcombe

Time to be counted.

UK - 'Dave' doesn't seem to get it either...................

Fossil fuels - all of them, add to carbon emissions Dave - and that most definitely includes FRACKING : http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/feb/26/climate-change-serious-threat-david-cameron-prime-ministers-questions

It's as if no one has told them.

UK - Osborne seeks to tackle climate change - with yet another fossil fuel

George Osborne seeks to tackle climate change with fracking ( and of course, nuclear ). Fracking is yet another fossil fuel with overall emission levels worse than those for coal production. Fact.

Either George doesn't get it - or he's been badly misinformed. What do you think.

Read more here: http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/feb/20/george-osborne-climate-change-cheaply

US - More frightening fracking facts should you need them

Rachel Maddow here devotes a large part of her show to exposing the awful truth about fracking: http://ecowatch.com/2014/02/19/rachel-maddow-hazards-of-fracking/

UK - When is a frack not a frack?

It would seem that something strange is going on in S.Yorkshire: http://frack-off.org.uk/fracking-yorkshire-rathlin-energys-plans-revealed/ These guys clearly think the people there are stupid.

Romania - At war with itself over fracking ( Ch.4 )

Remember the French Resistance? Pretty well what is happening in Romania as Chevron ( yes them again, try to appease the peasants with T shirts and yoghurts - not even free pizza this time the swines! ). Trying to take the peasant folk who care deeply for and depend for their very existence on their land as idiots is turning out not be the best way forward.

Read the article and watch the Ch.4 video here: http://www.channel4.com/news/fracking-romania-protests-pungesti-chevron-victor-ponta

UK - Cameron blames the EU for 'standing in the way'.

UK PM D.Cameron now tells the EU not to stand in the way of his crazy fracking plans with 'burdensome' regulations. Funny that, we thought he was in favour of stringent regulation. Come off it Dave.

Read more ( if you can stomach it ) here: http://www.channel4.com/news/dont-stand-in-way-of-fracking-cameron-tells-eu

The banality of the Oil and Gas industry

Fires and free pizzas - beggars belief. Chevron take the biscuit: http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/attytood/Chevron-Endure-our-fracking-fire-and-the-pizzas-on-us.html

These are the guys who regularly take whole page ads in the likes of Time Magazine assuring us that the environment is safe in their hands.

France - If you thought it was all over here - think again.

In spite of our recent up-beat report regarding the publication of the report from the influential Paris-based SCIENCES-PO declaring shale gas an economic and environmental 'no go' for Europe and in particular France we have to say that we are far from happy that the lobbying continues apace and dark forces are surely at work.

Read more here: http://www.french-news-online.com/wordpress/?p=33803#axzz2tfXO9iTz

We have some reservations about the article, but agree in one respect and that is that should fracking ever commence en France it is likely to receive the roughest of all rides. Ed.

US - Regulators and Fracking operators in cahoots.....

Shock horror - surely not: http://ecowatch.com/2014/02/16/regulatory-agency-fracking-industry-promote-drilling/ Still, could never happen in Europe now could it?!

UK - Disasterous effect on water supplies if fracking proceeds

We've said it countless times and now influential scientists are saying it too (!) but should fracking proceed according to the UK government's plans the effect on water supply could be calamitous. Read more here: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/feb/16/water-shortages-electricity-supply-climate-change

Please circulate this link/page/site as widely as possibly. Thank you.

FRANCE - Influential report declares fracking non-viable economically

Good news for a change. The influential SCIENCES-PO group have just issued their report following extensive analysis of the likely economic and environmental impact of fracking should it come to pass on mainland Europe: Policy Brief No.5/14the February 2014 - Climate: 'Unconventional Wisdom: an economic analysis of US shale gas and implications for the EU'. The research has been part-funded by the French goverment. The report is entirely balanced but ultimately not in favour of fracking here.

A synopsis in English may be found on this page at our French associate site: http://www.association-lecercledegindou.com/le-cercle-de-gindou/les-dossiers-du-cercle/schiste-2014-attention-bullschiste/ 

To read the synopsis, click the pdf link - fourth paragraph down below the image at the head of the page.

( We provide this link with the kind permission of our colleagues at: Association Lecercledegindou.com ).

US - Chevron frack well explodes - One dead.

Take just 0:36secs to see the horror : http://grist.org/news/just-a-natural-gas-well-exploding-into-flames-nothing-to-see-here/#.Uv9YvcKyojw.email and then imagine this happening just 50m from your own front door.

Never mind, 'safe, regulatory practice' has been promised by no less than David Cameron.

US- Fracking related methane leaks underestimated by up to 50%

There are over 400,000 fracked wells in the USA at the moment - rising rapidly. Stanford University estimate that EPA reports have underestimated frack site related methane leaks by up to 50%!

Methane has a far great climate warming effect than CO2 ( the other major contributor being the billions of livestock now reared on the planet ). Think flooding? As a minimum. We ain't seen nothing yet.

Read the report + short video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kBCMEUuSNw

UK - Judge declares truck access a public footpath. Good man.

One glimmer of good news amidst all the institutional violence authorised on behalf of those who seek to profit from the extraction of yet another climate warming ( floods?!) dirty fossil fuel. Time to be counted.

Read more: https://twitter.com/search?q=%23BartonMoss

UK - Manchester - Police brutality and extreme weather

Echoes of the Miner's Strike ( which changed UK policing for all time ) here with police brutality towards elderly, legitimate protestors and even legal representative's of those involved. And this is just the very beginning for the UK.

Read more here: http://planetivy.com/mayhem/89498/protesters-face-police-brutality-extreme-weather-fight-stop-fracking-barton-moss/

Ireland - Fermanagh tells frackers to.......frack off.

Not the cosy, warm reception they were led to believe they would receive........................

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/debateni/blogs/steven-agnew/fracking-in-fermanagh-as-for-shale-gas-companies-tell-them-to-frack-off-29999709.html

Irish Sea - Cuadrilla on the move

Not content with giving Blackpool a bad name, they now seek to frack in the Irish Sea: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-26157228

UK - Fracking and flood plains

It really seems that nothing has been learnt from the US experience:http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/newsdesk/energy/news/government-issue-fracking-licenses-flood-plains

Clowns.

Fracking and health effects - 2013 statistics

http://journalistsresource.org/studies/environment/energy/fracking-shale-gas-health-effects-research-roundup Speaks for itself we feel. Ed.

UK - Worthless assurances re-regulation

'There are no records on our data base of Borehole inspections' - UK Health and Safety Executive.

Actually guys, we never thought there would be. Prime Ministerial talk of 'adequate and stringent regulation' is just that - talk. When Messrs Cuadrilla first set up shop near Blackpool and prior to the much under reported failures at that location, five meetings were held with the H&E bods and not one meeting took place on site. Since then local authority spending has been cut to the bone and the implications must be obvious.

See here what the folks in Sussex think about it all: https://www.facebook.com/FrackFreeSussex

UK - Help fight first fracking installations.

The following video is 2:37secs long. It shows the desperate plight of those faced with the imminent despoliation of their countryside by Australian frackers - Dart Energy. It explains the basics of fracking, clearly shows the sites targeted by the Cameron Government across the UK, but above all seeks your support......................

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aB0pxFH9EeU&feature=em-share_video_user

Remember what it felt like here in South West France before we forced the Sarkozy Government to cancel the permits ( a situation that could easily return in short order ). Please consider helping those now in that situation. Thank you.

Pollution - Key to the Shale Gas debate - or is it?

Interesting analysis in right wing newspaper The Connexion - here online: http://www.connexionfrance.com/Shale-gas-Montebourg-Hollande-Cuadrilla-Total-Chevron%20Halliburton-Meike-Fink-Thomas-Porcher-15439-news-article.html

Interesting that the 'Yes' argument is put first and interesting also that the so called myths that the protaganists refer to ( constantly ) are not detailed. Interesting.

They used to think that smoking was - good for you

Now they tell us that there are no ill effects to be experienced from fracking. No poisoned water, no earth tremors, no noise, no distress due to living next to ugly derricks and no problem associated with airborne methane levels up to 50% in excess of permitted norms.

Now if only they could bring this guy back.........................

US - Fracking depleting water supplies in drought areas.

Hard to imagine a shortage of water at this point in time is it not? However, can't be many months before those seasonal hosepipe bans are in place in the UK and then might be the time to reflect on this: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/feb/05/fracking-water-america-drought-oil-gas
The more so since UK water boards have elected to give priority to fracking firms over domestic consumers.

UK fracking - everyone to benefit?

Fat chance: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/feb/05/fracking-uk-rewards-sovereign-wealth-fund

UK - Innocent pedestrian abused by psycopath police officer at fracking protest

Not only does the policing of fracking protests cost a lot ( £4 million for Balcombe alone ) and remember that this is caused by fracking plans ( in the first place ) not legitimate protest which is merely a by-product, but there is also the ugly side of 'supervision' too...................

http://21stcenturywire.com/2014/02/03/police-psychopath-caught-on-camera-framing-innocent-fracking-protester-for-dui/

US-Obama's Energy Boom is a Fracking Nightmare for Rural America

If you have ever imagined what fracking is going to mean for the UK simply try to translate the following:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-26030204 in terms of the crazy plans rural Great Britain.
Does not bear thinking about.

UK - Osborne says fracking unlikely to bring down domestic fuel bills

We never thought that it would George ( even though 'Call Me Dave' originally proposed it as a unique selling point ). Read more here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-26030204

UK - Fracking wastewater dumped in Manchester Ship Canal

MP demands more information on report that fracking waste water was dumped in Manchester Ship Canal near Davyhulme. Read the BBC report here: http://www.messengernewspapers.co.uk/news/10971603.MP_demands_answers_on_why_waste_water_from_fracking_was_dumped_into_the_Manchester_Ship_Canal/?ref=rss

Please circulate this post - widely. Thank you.

France - There are polls and then there are polls ( Le Figaro refers )

In a recent post we announced the results of a poll carried out by Centre-right paper Le Figaro which claimed that a majority of those surveyed were in favour of the exploration of shale gas by means of fracking.

A member of our team has rightly pointed out that the results are not to be taken at all seriously unless we can know the true nature of their control group and that a balance of rural and city-dwelling respondents were involved. City dwellers find it almost impossible to relate to the reality of fracking on the ground and then of course there is the bias/nature of the paper's readership many of whom will have significant oil and gas investments.

UK - Sussex landowners to mount legal challenge to frackers

Good - so far as it goes. OK for those in the Home Counties with the necessary resources and hopefully it may provide a blueprint for others? However, we would love to know just how many of them have significant chunks of their investment portfolios vested in Oil and Gas concerns.

Read more here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-26007057

France - 'Exploration' getting closer?

Yet one more indication that the oil and gas lobby here are edging towards the 'exploration' of shale gas by fracking. 'After all, we don't even know how much gas there is' we hear them cry.

Centre-right national paper Le Figaro has just closed a survey of 33,983 of it's readers to find that 72% of them are in favour of exploitation. Click the following link:
http://www.lefigaro.fr/environnement/2014/01/31/01029-20140131QCMWWW00146-faut-il-autoriser-l-exploration-du-gaz-de-schiste.php

No doubt if Le Monde held a similar survey of it's readers the figures would be reversed.

All we need now is the departure of President Hollande and it will be full steam ( gas?!) ahead.

Be prepared.