Fracking in Sussex? Fracking Firm Test Drilling in Balcombe

[somerset]

Re: fracking in sussex....

I happen to have a little bit of insight into government policy due to my current job role, and there is no doubt that Fracking is going to occur all over the country.

DECC (Department of Energy and Climate Change) are wholesale behind supporting and pushing through fracking projects, and I have heard from people who work within DECC that "there is no way that Fracking will not be happening in the UK within the next 10 years".

All I hope is that the government at least puts a lot more restrictions on what can go into the fracking liquid, the disposal of the old fracking liquid and making sure that water sources are protected compared to what they have done in the USA.

Anybody who genuinely believes that you can pump super high pressure water (with added chemicals and sand) deep underground, fracture rock and the successfully extract gas and all of the fracking liquid with absolutely no environmental impact is a lunatic. If Fracking is going to happen, we just need to hope and pray that it is done as cleanly as possible. There will be some environmental disasters, this is inevitable. There will also be Fracking wells popping up all over our countryside, often in AONBs and National Parks, and I guess we just need to get used to that too.

We need energy. Gas = energy. Until the gas and oil properly runs out nobody is going to truly care about renewables.

If any of you care enough individually to want to do something, a simple thing is to buy your energy from a provider who only sources it in renewable ways. Good Energy are a green energy provider for example. You will pay more for it, but at least you are not individually contributing to the current unsustainable model.

For Christ sake,most of the people who are getting over excited about fracking are the same people who rant about the cost of energy in this country.
Got to give fracking a go,it would be sheer lunacy not to explore the possibilities it offers.

They are also the same people who complain about nuclear, the same people who complain about wind turbines, the same people who complain about tidal barrages, the same people who complain about fossil fuel pollution.....they have no answers.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

They are also the same people who complain about nuclear, the same people who complain about wind turbines, the same people who complain about tidal barrages, the same people who complain about fossil fuel pollution.....they have no answers.

Errr .... no they're not. I'm happy with nuclear and very happy with wind turbines ( and I don't think their ugly - rather impressive actually ). I do currently object to fracking. There is not enough evidence one way or the other over fracking and the governments rush to support it makes me very uneasy. When there is proper balanced data provided I might change my mind but at the moment I'm against it.

 

[beorhthelm]

There is not enough evidence one way or the other over fracking and the governments rush to support it makes me very uneasy.

theres plenty of evidence. on the one hand there are some tales from early fracking in Pennsylvania where no regulation, poor site choice, poor practice and bleeding edge exploration led to problems. on the other hand there is a massive industry built up around the process with a handfull of isolated incidents, and the main unknown of "whats in the fracking fluid" is being addressed in UK and europe. governments are rushing to support it because its an easy win: low cost energy for limited risk (and there is always some risk).

 

[somerset]

Errr .... no they're not. I'm happy with nuclear and very happy with wind turbines.

Then you have a slightly broader approach than most of the ecological 'aware' protest groups I have come across personally here in Somerset( anti barrage in the severn, anti wind turbine across the flats and the mendips, anti nuclear at Hinkley point)..... believe me, they are the same groups, often rebranded to suit their current cause, but the individuals are the same.

 

[00snook]

Re: fracking in sussex....

Then you have a slightly broader approach than most of the ecological 'aware' protest groups I have come across personally here in Somerset( anti barrage in the severn, anti wind turbine across the flats and the mendips, anti nuclear at Hinkley point)..... believe me, they are the same groups, often rebranded to suit their current cause, but the individuals are the same.

You are quite right many people just want something to protest against, but I genuinely believe fracking is a bit different to other energy protests.

There is masses of evidence from way wider than just Pennsylvania that fracking has some terrible effects on the environment. Is also interesting that it has been banned outright in France (who were sensible enough to invest in a quality nuclear program 20 years ago) and many other nations are considering bans.

Why would they ban it if its relatively risk free and provides cheap energy? Because it is a lot more risky than the government, or the fracking industries will have you believe thats why.

 

[beorhthelm]

Why would they ban it if its relatively risk free and provides cheap energy?

in the case of the French, to protect the national interest in nuclear?

 

[Barrel of Fun]

theres plenty of evidence. on the one hand there are some tales from early fracking in Pennsylvania where no regulation, poor site choice, poor practice and bleeding edge exploration led to problems. on the other hand there is a massive industry built up around the process with a handfull of isolated incidents, and the main unknown of "whats in the fracking fluid" is being addressed in UK and europe. governments are rushing to support it because its an easy win: low cost energy for limited risk (and there is always some risk).

A handful of incidents in a brand new form of energy? That's alright then. Nuclear was just a handful of incidents as well.

 

[beorhthelm]

A handful of incidents in a brand new form of energy? That's alright then. Nuclear was just a handful of incidents as well.

yes there was and didnt stop nuclear. or like coal mining or oil expolration. hydro requires permenant flooding. solar production causes a great deal of pollution (off in China so we dont worry about that). we accept there will be risks and attempt to minimise them.

 

[BadFish]

yes there was and didnt stop nuclear. or like coal mining or oil expolration. hydro requires permenant flooding. solar production causes a great deal of pollution (off in China so we dont worry about that). we accept there will be risks and attempt to minimise them.

What are the pollution that solar production causes?

 

[Brovion]

What are the pollution that solar production causes?

The heavy metals used in their manufacture, which can be seen as akin to the pollution caused by fracking.

Nevertheless Somerset has a point. In Sussex recently there has been opposition to a biomass power station in Shoreham, opposition to a windfarm off the coast, opposition to numerous wind turbines and opposition to the installation of solar panels in architecturally-sensitive areas. And to that you can add the opposition (thankfully defeated) to the Newhaven scheme to recycle rubbish into energy. In short there is NO energy-generation scheme that meets with universal approval and it is simply down to personal prejudice as to which ones people think are 'good' or 'bad'.

As it happens, even with my view that the generation of cheap energy and the removal of fuel poverty should always outweigh any environmental concerns, I can't support fracking 100%. So I'm just as hypocritical as everybody else!

 

[Westdene Seagull]

Is also interesting that it has been banned outright in France (who were sensible enough to invest in a quality nuclear program 20 years ago) and many other nations are considering bans.

And heavy investment in wind power - loads and loads all over the Loire Valley and very magnificent they look too !

 

[BadFish]

The heavy metals used in their manufacture, which can be seen as akin to the pollution caused by fracking.

Ta

Nevertheless Somerset has a point. In Sussex recently there has been opposition to a biomass power station in Shoreham, opposition to a windfarm off the coast, opposition to numerous wind turbines and opposition to the installation of solar panels in architecturally-sensitive areas. And to that you can add the opposition (thankfully defeated) to the Newhaven scheme to recycle rubbish into energy. In short there is NO energy-generation scheme that meets with universal approval and it is simply down to personal prejudice as to which ones people think are 'good' or 'bad'.

So of all these, which ones have been given the go ahead?

As it happens, even with my view that the generation of cheap energy and the removal of fuel poverty should always outweigh any environmental concerns, I can't support fracking 100%. So I'm just as hypocritical as everybody else!

 

[Brovion]

So of all these, which ones have been given the go ahead?

AFAIK none, they're all in the planning stage - which in Britain is half the problem as a handful of protestors can delay the process by years (as we found out with the stadium).

EDIT: Oh, the wind turbine at Glyndebourne is now I believe operational.

 

[Scampi]

And to that you can add the opposition (thankfully defeated) to the Newhaven scheme to recycle rubbish into energy. !

Not thankfully for the people that live there. Huge polluting monstrosity dumped on poor town by well off councillors who wouldnt dream of having anything like that built near them.

 

[BadFish]

AFAIK none, they're all in the planning stage - which in Britain is half the problem as a handful of protestors can delay the process by years (as we found out with the stadium).

EDIT: Oh, the wind turbine at Glyndebourne is now I believe operational.

Excellent, I love a wind farm.

 

[00snook]

Re: fracking in sussex....

And heavy investment in wind power - loads and loads all over the Loire Valley and very magnificent they look too !

I would still prefer wind power to pumping water and chemicals underground to fracture rock.

Which sounds less destructive to you?

 

[BadFish]

I would still prefer wind power to pumping water and chemicals underground to fracture rock.

Which sounds less destructive to you?

Pretty simple answer IMHO.

We should be heavily investing money in renewable energy and not worrying about new ways to extract a limited amount of gas and oil.

Madness!

 

[Westdene Seagull]

I would still prefer wind power to pumping water and chemicals underground to fracture rock.

Which sounds less destructive to you?

Nope - absolutely I agree with you. For once my post wasn't sarcasm - I actually do believe that wind farms look good.

 

[beorhthelm]

I would still prefer wind power to pumping water and chemicals underground to fracture rock.

Which sounds less destructive to you?

are you counting the extraction of the iron ores and rare earth metals? pumping water 2-3 miles underground doesnt seem so bad compared to digging out a mountain or creating a mile wide hole.

though im all for wind too, we need a wide energy sources. just pointing out theres no free lunch on creating energy.

 

[BadFish]

Nope - absolutely I agree with you. For once my post wasn't sarcasm - I actually do believe that wind farms look good.

Me too, I think they are magnificent.