3 Legged fracking video hits YouTube!

When you have just 4 minutes to spare do treat yourself to a glimpse of the hugely reassuring (sic ) fracking video recently posted on YouTube by Messrs 3 Legs Resources. With just 56 views to date it hardly seems likely to go viral, but for sheer entertainment value does take some beating! Note the syrupy tones of the narrator, the constant inclusion of buzz words ( environment, agriculture, tight regulation, domestic fluids etc ) and the fact of the huge cost of the operation ( to them ) and marvel at the sheer 'accident-free' efficiency of the entire operation. Almost good enough to eat! Then ask yourself how you might like one of those derrick thingys in the field opposite or yet again just how they manage to heave all that hardware into place without destroying local roads and your entire quality of life in the process. And then there is the small question of the water deployed.

See it on You Tube by clicking here or simply enter '3 Legs Resources' in the You Tube search box. Enjoy.

Oh, should you wish to congratulate them on such an amateur piece of visual and aural tosh you will be disappointed to find that 'Adding comments has been disabled for this video'. We wonder why.

Purely for the record, there would no longer appear to be any mention of France on their site. Right.

Maires in the Var prepared to stand up and be counted!

We have just received notice of an encouraging report in the on-line version of the French News which describes measures proposed by maires in the Var Departement to obstruct the upcoming presidential elections in their region in the event of candidates being unwilling to give assurances regarding shale gas exploration/exploitation. Here is the link to the report by journalist Ken Pottinger


You will see from our last report that other measures are progressively being introduced including local laws or arrêtés banning the use of roads and water for instance. Numerous communes in the Lot including the Grand Cahors administration have taken such powers.

You may wish to ask your maire if anything similar is planned.

Local maires take 'preventative' measures

In a report in La Depeche dated 4/3/2012 concerning the demonstration organised by local collectifs against proposals for Gaz de Schiste exploration and exploitation we note that local maires have been busy drafting laws or 'arrêtés' that would effectively prevent those seeking to frack from using local roads, water and infrastructure in general. This worked effectively in the Ardeche region last year when Messrs Scheupbach Energy were prevented from fracking.

Here in France, Maire's are charged amongst other things with 'The conservation and management of the commune's natural environment and resources including issues over heritage and building and other activities'. Notably he/she has the power to make local laws and is seen as a representative of government.

'La solution passi aussi par les maires'


'The local collectifs opposed to Gaz de Schiste have repeated many times that local municipal laws or 'arrêtés' are one effective device for preventing the application of permits to explore and/or exploit Gaz de Schiste en France. In the Vars departement, close to 70 communes out of a total of 135 have taken powers to establish such local laws governing the use of roads and water etc. In the Lot, 50 communes within the jurisdiction of Grand Cahors have already passed laws. The association <Non au gaz du schiste permis de Cahors> are sending a ready made formula to every maire in the Lot in order that they may be best able to preserve and protect their territories from the degradation certain to follow on from fracking and related activities'. 


The dialogue continues to develop just as the lobbyists are working overtime to convince our politicians. Fortunately, here in France there exists something just a little more pro-active than the average English Parish Council!

Reassurance from Brussels - yeh!

After almost six months I have received a reply to my letter to the Head of Unit - Enforcement, Infringements co-ordination and legal issues at the European Commission in Brussels concerning due process in the event of shale gas exploration in France and the fact that currently the EU is of the view that a tightening of regulations is unnecessary.

'The Commision considers that shale gas exploration and exploitation projects fall under the Directive 2011/92/EU on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment. It implies that, before a shale gas exploration or exploitation project comes to life, the operator has to assess the likely significant environmental impacts (e.g. upon nature, water resources, landscape ) of the project. It would also imply that the operator would not be able to start a project without obtaining a permit. In the framework of the development consent procedure, the public and environmental authorities must be given the right to express opinions on the permit request and to get access to the decision to grant or not a permit. Those opinions should be taken into account by the competent authority in the development consent procedure. In cases where a permit is granted to an operator for a shale gas exploration/exploitation project, members of the "public concerned", including NGOs, will be entitled to challenge at the national level the legality of the decision. This position was communicated to France by letter of 12th December 2011'.

So that's all right then!

DN-A.

Wild estimates of likely gas supplies - we are not surprised!

As we have long suspected, industry estimates of likely shale gas deposits in the US and in European fields now appear to have been wildly exaggerated no doubt to impress gullible politicians and investors. A hint of the scale of this sham ( scam? ) may be gleaned from here:

The latest issue of LeFortySix Magazine (www.lefortysix.fr) is published today and carries an article by one of our team entitled: Gaz de Schiste - WATER - a perspective. Click the link below or go to page 12 of the hard copy available here.

Almost one year now to the day when the deceit first emerged here in France. We confidentally predict that reactions will be even more pronounced this time around.

New petition to the EU. Please sign, it only takes a minute

The EU seem to think there is no need to strengthen the law on shale gas exploitation. This is mainly because they are tempted by the promise of 'cheap' gas and how popular it will make them to the voters. We know it will not be cheap in any sense and is just a line promoted by the gas companies who are only interested in the massive profits that fracking will generate.

The only thing that will persuade the EU to do the right thing is public pressure. There is a new petition urging the EU to reconsider their naieve attitude to shale gas in Europe. Please sign it - it will only take a minute.

It is available in a number of languages - you only need to sign one of them :-)

ENGLISH: http://www.petitions24.net/appel_a_un_consensus_europeen_en


FRENCH: http://www.petitions24.net/appel_a_un_consensus_europeen_fr

SPANISH: http://www.petitions24.net/appel_a_un_consensus_europeen_esp

POLISH: http://www.petitions24.net/appel_a_un_consensus_europeen_pol

BULGARIAN: http://www.petitions24.net/appel_a_un_consensus_europeen_bulg

Thanks

The Schiste Happens Information Team
(tee hee...)

Josh Fox responds...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=BTSnZCYHo80