Category: Uncategorized

Fracking with the facts in a post-truth world

Fracking with the facts in a post-truth world

Fracking is a process that is struggling to gain a foothold in the UK. As the companies involved scrabble to get permission to drill across vast swathes of the countryside, they are also fighting a battle to win the hearts and minds of the population, because they know that without...

PEDL165

How things have changed!

Let’s take a step back in time shall we. Imagine you are back in 2012 in a packed hall in St Annes listening to a panel debate between the regulators, Cuadrilla, Friends of the Earth and local engineer Mike Hill. Somebody suggests that fracking in the Fylde will require maybe...

backing fracking szolucha

For whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

Today’s sermon from the Church of St Michael Insanum will be based on a text from Galatians 6:7 “For whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” On Wednesday this week, Dr Ania Szolucha of the University of Bergen launched her peer-reviewed research paper on “The Social Futures of...

We need to talk about Kevin

Yesterday Kevin Hollinrake resigned from the vice-chairmanship of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Unconventional Oil and Gas claiming he had not previously been aware of any potential conflicts of interests in the way the group was funded. If I were an MP I think I might be aware of...

NWETF delete page showing questionable support

NWETF delete page showing questionable support

STOP PRESS: And it’s back – but minus three “supporters” who are presumably not supporters and with one added. The current version is therefore rather misleading as it now suggests that the list provided to LCC did not have these three names on it when rather clearly it did and...

Chair of DEFRA Panel confirms accuracy of Rural Impacts study?

Chair of DEFRA Panel confirms accuracy of Rural Impacts study?

A recent article in the Solicitors’ Journal entitled “Fracking: What you need to consider” discusses issues which need to be considered by conveyancing solicitors in areas where fracking may take place. [The article can only be accessed in full by registered users but you can sign up for a free...

So what did the government NOT want you know about the impacts of fracking?

So what did the government NOT want you know about the impacts of fracking?

The Report on The Shale Gas Rural Economy impacts was published in heavily redacted form, generating a storm of protest in March 2014. Over a year later, and coincidentally just after the LCC decisions on Cuadrilla’s two development site applications, on July 1st 2015, the full report was finally published....

Another hilarious lesson in why you should pick your advocates carefully

Another hilarious lesson in why you should pick your advocates carefully

Well the pro-frackers are treating us to a succession of “car-crash” interviews of late aren’t they? Last week it was The Rambling Reverend scaremongering about imminent blackouts if we don’t get fracking underway (ignoring the slight logical problem that an industry which wouldn’t in any circumstances be able to contribute...