Category: Political Issues

Farmers Against Fracking?

Farmers Against Fracking?

The Farming UK web site carried a story today in which George Osborne’s pledge to support shale gas come what may was roundly condemned as short-termist and dangerous It quoted the Chartered Institution of Water & Environmental Management (CIWEM) ‘s Executive Director Nick Reeves as saying: “The Chancellor’s dangling carrot...

Lights Out ????

Lights Out ????

The continued unusually cold weather conditions also prompted so-called “experts” to renew their scaremongering about Britain’s gas running out. We were given two weeks of continuing cold weather before rationing was implemented. Earlier in the week OFGEM had reported that the ‘Big Six’ energy companies will make a record profit...

Should we be worried about Mr Egan?

Should we be worried about Mr Egan?

We are starting to get concerned about the welfare of Francis Egan, CEO of Cuadrilla. We have noted before that there seems to be something going around locally which makes people forget things that they said recently and then say something which contradicts it shortly afterwards. Our MP, Mark Menzies,...

Cuadrilla CEO admits Fracking will not transform our economy

Cuadrilla CEO admits Fracking will not transform our economy

A rather unconvincing sounding Francis Egan was interviewed alongside Tony Juniper former head of Friends of the Earth on the Sunday Politics at about 11:30. It will be on the BBC Iplayer here http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01rbxkg/Sunday_Politics_North_West_24_03_2013/ As we have now learned to expect Mr Egan came out with the usual platitudes and...

Your Involuntary Investment in Shale Gas

Your Involuntary Investment in Shale Gas

One of the little discussed issues around the recent announcement that the government is going to throw tax breaks at an industry which insists it doesn’t actually want or need them (see https://www.refracktion.org/index.php/fracking-and-the-budget/) is that it turns us all into investors in this business, as it is now OUR money...

Fracking and the Budget

Fracking and the Budget

As expected George Osborne used his budget speech on Wednesday to express government support for the fracking industry. He said: In the spending round, we will provide support for energy-intensive industries beyond 2015. For the North sea, we will this year sign contracts for future decommissioning relief, the expectation of...