UK - At last, the climate change penny drops. Or has it?

When all the earthquake, flaming tap, airborne methane levels and risk to aquafers, not to mention logistics and landscape desecration arguments have been itemized there remains the single, crucial  issue of - burning yet another fossil fuel at this critical time.

'Clean' gas, 'Natural' gas ( and in France, 'Gaz de roche mere' or gas of the mother rock ) have all been deployed by apologists for the Dirty Industry to try to give the impression that although comparable to certain other fossil fuels at the outset, methods of extraction deployed ( including the disproportionate use of diesel in logistics and on site ), airborne methane emissions often as high as 50% all point to something considerably worse than eg. coal.

The UK has made commitments to world-wide climate change targets and yet pushes now for a country-wide fracking 'revolution'. Remember, up to 60% of the land mass is theoritcally vulnerable to license applications. Now the BBC ( often giving the impression of a 'confused' position over fracking ) would appear to have spotted the inconsistency.

Correspondent David Shukman comments as follows: 

 Science Editor - This report opens up a new argument over shale gas in the UK. Until now the main focus of environmental concern has been on the risks of pollution. And any worries about noise or the potential for contaminated drinking water have essentially been local. But highlighting the climate angle gives the debate a national perspective. The MPs highlight the apparent contradiction of the UK being committed to massive cuts in carbon emissions under the Climate Change Act while at the same time also encouraging the search for new sources of fossil fuel. At the heart of this question is how gas itself is viewed. Since it is cleaner than coal, some say gas can act as a "bridge" to a low-carbon future, buying more time for renewable energy to become more efficient. Others argue that developing any kind of fossil fuel locks us into a high-carbon future and undermines or at least delays a switch to greener forms of power. And this comes at sensitive time: the government is preparing to take a leading role in a summit on climate change in Paris at the end of the year.

And do you think Middle Englanders will take ablind bit of notice? Ed.