Campaigners say the recommendation by government advisers casts ‘grave doubt’ on commitment to cut emissions
Campaigners reacted angrily on Tuesday to the recommendation by government advisers that “fracking” for shale gas can resume in the UK, despite reassurances that the controversial technique is safe.
In a report published today, experts said fracking could resume with stronger controls after it was halted last year following two earthquakes near Blackpool after the drilling of two sites in Lancashire by Cuadrilla Resources. The “fracking” process, hydraulic fracturing, involves a well being drilled hundreds of metres deep and pumped full of water, sand and chemicals in order to release methane gas.
But green groups and local anti-fracking groups angrily denounced the report. Former Friends of the Earth director Tony Juniper said this morning that it cast “grave doubt” on the government’s commitment to cutting greenhouse gas emissions. A study by Cornell University last year predicted its impact on climate change would be worse than coal.
