Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:
The British government called a halt Saturday to the controversial process of "fracking" due to fears it could trigger earthquakes in a surprise U-turn just weeks before a general election.
Until now, Britain had hoped that fracking—banned in many countries, but booming in the United States—could help secure its future energy independence.
But with just a few weeks to go before Britain goes to the polls—where environmental issues are expected to feature prominently—Business and Energy Secretary Andrea Leadsom announced a "moratorium" at what is currently the UK's only operational shale gas well in Lancashire, northwest England.
"I have concluded that we should put a moratorium on fracking in England with immediate effect," Leadsom said.
"It is clear that we cannot rule out future unacceptable impacts on the local community."
The U-turn follows a report by Britain's Oil and Gas Authority into recent seismic activity at Preston New Road, a site operated by exploration and production company Cuadrilla.
[...] Protests broke out as[sic] last year as work began on Britain's first horizontal shale gas well at Cuadrilla's Preston New Road site.
[...] Cuadrilla's first attempt at fracking seven years ago was ended after it triggered minor earthquakes, putting their plans on hold while more stringent measures were put in place.
[...] The British Geological Survey estimates that the site Cuadrilla is exploring holds up to 2,300 trillion cubic feet (90 trillion cubic metres) of shale gas.
The amount could theoretically fill Britain's natural gas needs for more than a thousand years.
[...] The government said Saturday it would "take a presumption against issuing any further Hydraulic Fracturing Consents" unless new evidence is provided.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by isostatic on Wednesday November 06 2019, @08:36AM (2 children)
called a 6 week stop on Saturday ... due to fears it could cost votes in marginal constituencies in an unsurprising U-turn just weeks before a general election
Fixed that for you
(Score: 3, Insightful) by GreatAuntAnesthesia on Wednesday November 06 2019, @11:03AM (1 child)
Exactly. if the Tories get in, expect this ban to be lifted the very next day.
(Score: 3, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 06 2019, @11:10AM
and if Labour gets in expect them to u-turn after 2 years and lift the ban. Wow elections are fun so much choice!
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 06 2019, @11:48AM (1 child)
holy crap! one thousand years of national gas needs!
next step will probably be to find ways to use it up in 50 years!
as for pesky local protest ... well... just offer profit sharing to towns people.
i am sure renovations will also offer more jobs ... paid for by more earthquake profits. ^_^
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 06 2019, @06:37PM
Yes that lure (1000 years) is going to be too strong for any government to resist. All it will take is a little choppy water on the surface - a national crisis or a world war - and the pipes will go in. Then you'll get your 1000 years of Freedom.
(Score: 2) by jmichaelhudsondotnet on Wednesday November 06 2019, @10:49PM
Exploding the ground causes the earth to shake?
whoaaaa
'if we just randomly destabilize the ground everything is built on, we will have unlimted energy! We promise nothing will go wrong but if it does, contact our lawyers in panama.'
garbage people can ruin anything, even dirt, if told will increase the value of their dirt.
'we have no ideas so we can't build anything, but there is some sector of this 10 acres between here and the center of the earth that has something that burns! lets catostrphically demish it even though it is directly beneath our feet'
Somewhere some species must be laughing at ours.